Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Volume 28, Issue 6 , Pages 453-457 , July 2005

The Evidence-Based Hierarchy: Is It Time For Change? A Suggested Alternative

  • P.J. Miller, BSc, DC, MSc, FCC

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationSubmit requests for reprints to: P.J. Miller, BSc, DC, MSc, FCC, AECC, 13-15 Parkwood Road, Bournemouth, BH5 2DF, UK
  • ,
  • A.R. Jones-Harris, BSc, DC, MSc, FCC

References 

  1. Sackett DL, Straus S, Richardson WS, Rosenberg WMC, Haynes B. Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2000;
  2. Evidence-Based Medicine Working Group. Evidence-based medicine: a new approach to teaching the practice of medicine. JAMA. 1992;268:2420–2425
  3. Coulter A, Entwistle VA, Gilbert D. Sharing decisions with patients: is the information good enough. BMJ. 1999;318:318–322
  4. Buetow S, Kenealy T. Evidence-based medicine: the need for a new definition. J Eval Clin Pract. 2000;6:85–92
  5. Buetow S. Beyond evidence-based medicine: bridge-building a medicine of meaning. J Eval Clin Pract. 2002;8:103–108
  6. Tickle-Degnen L, Bedell G. Heterarchy and hierarchy: a critical appraisal of the “levels of evidence” as a tool for clinical decision making. Am J Occup Ther. 2003;57:234–237
  7. Tsafrir J, Grinberg M. Who needs evidence-based health care?. Bull Med Libr Assoc. 1998;86:40–45
  8. Bolton J. The evidence in evidence-based practice: what counts and what doesn't count. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001;24:362–366
  9. Petticrew M, Roberts H. Evidence, hierarchies, and typologies: horses for courses. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003;57:527–529
  10. Glasziou P, Vandenbroucke J, Chalmers I. Assessing the quality of research. BMJ. 2003;328:39–41
  11. Little M. “Better than numbers…” A gentle critique of evidence-based medicine. Aust NZ J Surg. 2003;73:177–182
  12. Clarke JB. Evidence-based practice: a retrograde step? The importance of pluralism in evidence generation for the practice of health care. J Clin Nurs. 1999;8:89–94
  13. Barbour RS, Barbour M. Evaluating and synthesizing qualitative research: the need to develop a distinctive approach. J Eval Clin Pract. 2003;9:179–186
  14. Evans D. Systematic reviews of interpretive research: interpretive data synthesis of processed data. Aust J Adv Nurs. 2002;20:22–26
  15. Dixon-Woods M, Fitzpatrick R. Qualitative research in systematic reviews: has established a place for itself. BMJ. 2001;323:765–766
  16. Dixon-Woods M, Fitzpatrick R, Roberts K. Including qualitative research in systematic reviews: opportunities and problems. J Eval Clin Pract. 2001;7:125–133
  17. Rosswurm MA, Larrabee JH. A model for change to evidence-based practice. Image J Nurs Sch. 1999;31:317–322
  18. Sandelowski M, Docherty S, Emden C. Focus on qualitative methods. Qualitative metasynthesis: issues and techniques. Res Nurs Health. 1997;20:365–371
  19. Leys M. Health care policy: qualitative evidence and health technology assessment. Health Policy. 2003;65:217–226
  20. Mays N, Pope C. Qualitative research in health care. Assessing quality in qualitative research. BMJ. 2000;320:50–52
  21. Hope T. Evidence-based patient choice. London: Kings Fund; 1996;
  22. Greenhalgh T, Taylor R. How to read a paper: papers that go beyond numbers (qualitative research). BMJ. 1997;315:740–743
  23. Bolton J. Research design in chiropractic. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1999;22:483–487
  24. Haynes B, Haines A. Barriers and bridges to evidence based clinical practice. BMJ. 1998;317:273–276
  25. Ely JW, Osheroff JA, Ebell MH, Chambliss ML, Vinson DC, Stevermer JJ, et al. Obstacles to answering doctors' questions about patient care with evidence: qualitative study. BMJ. 2002;324:710
  26. Philips B, Ball C, Sackett DL, Badenoch D, Straus S, Haynes B, et al. Levels of evidence and grades of recommendation. [monograph on the Internet] Oxford: Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine; 2001;Available from: http://www.cebm.net/levels_of_evidence.asp
  27. Bigby M. Challenges to the hierarchy of evidence: does the emperor have no clothes?. Arch Dermatol. 2001;137:345–346
  28. Eakin JM, Mykhalovskiy E. Reframing the evaluation of qualitative health research: reflections on a review of appraisal guidelines in the health sciences. J Eval Clin Pract. 2003;9:187–194
  29. Greenhalgh T. Narrative based medicine: narrative based medicine in an evidence based world. BMJ. 1999;318:323–325
  30. Greenhalgh T, Hurwitz B. Narrative based medicine: why study narrative?. BMJ. 1999;318:48–50
  31. Hoddinott P, Pill R. A review of recently published qualitative research in general practice. More methodological questions than answers?. Fam Pract. 1997;14:313–319
  32. Greenhalgh T. In: How to read a paper: the basics of evidence-based medicine. London: BMJ Books; 2001;p. 39–55
  33. Blettner M, Sauerbrei W, Schlehofer B, Scheuchenpflug T, Friedenreich C. Traditional reviews, meta-analyses and pooled analyses in epidemiology. Int J Epidemiol. 1999;28:1–9
  34. Evans D. Hierarchy of evidence: a framework for ranking evidence evaluating healthcare interventions. J Clin Nurs. 2003;12:77–84
  35. Evans D, Pearson A. Systematic reviews: gatekeepers of nursing knowledge. J Clin Nurs. 2001;10:593–599
  36. Finkel ML, Brown H-A, Gerber LM, Supino PG. Teaching evidence-based medicine to medical students. Med Teach. 2003;25:202–204
  37. Schunemann HJ, Best D, Vist G, Oxman AD. Letters, numbers, symbols and words: how to communicate grades of evidence and recommendations. Can Med Assoc J. 2003;169:677–680
  38. Garcia J, Bricker L, Henderson J, Martin MA, Mugford M, Nielson J, et al. Women's views of pregnancy ultrasound: a systematic review. Birth. 2002;29:225–250
  39. Popay J, Rogers A, Williams G. Rationale and standards for the systematic review of qualitative literature in health services research. Qual Health Res. 1998;8:341–351
  40. Djulbegovic B, Morris L, Lyman GH. Evidentiary challenges to evidence-based medicine. J Eval Clin Pract. 2000;6:99–109
  41. Sackett DL, Straus SE, Richardson WS, Rosenberg W, Haynes RB. Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. In: 2nd ed.. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2000;p. 29–65
  42. Miles A, Charlton B, Ploychronis A, Grey J, Price N. New perspectives in the evidence-based healthcare debate. J Eval Clin Pract. 2000;6:77–84

PII: S0161-4754(05)00171-5

doi: 10.1016/j.jmpt.2005.06.010

Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
Volume 28, Issue 6 , Pages 453-457 , July 2005