Survey (including pre-test probabilities)

Frampton A.
Who can drive home from the emergency department? A questionnaire based study of emergency physicians' knowledge of DVLA guidelines.
Emerg Med J.
2003;20:526-530.

Submitted by:Kevin Mackway-Jones - Professor in Emergency Medicine
Institution:Manchester Royal Infirmary
Date submitted:20th January 2004

Before CA, i rated this paper: 5/10

1 Objectives and hypotheses

1.1 Are the objectives of the study clearly stated?

Yes - to determine whether doctors working in emergency departments are aware which of the common conditions have driving restrictions

2 Design

2.1 Is the study design suitable for the objectives

Yes

2.2 Who / what was studied?

Doctors currently working in emergency departments in Wessex

2.3 Was this the right sample to answer the objectives?

Yes

2.4 Did the subject represent the full spectrum of the population of interest?

Yes

2.5 Is the study large enough to achieve its objectives? Have sample size estimates been performed?

Yes -large enough, No sample size estimate

2.6 Were all subjects accounted for?

Yes

2.7 Were all appropriate outcomes considered?

Yes

2.8 Has ethical approval been obtained if appropriate?

2.9 What measures were made to contact non-responders?

Nil - anonymized

2.10 What was the response rate?

51%

3 Measurement and observation

3.1 Is it clear what was measured, how it was measured and what the outcomes were?

Dichotomous questions

3.2 Are the measurements valid?

Yes

3.3 Are the measurements reliable?

Yes

3.4 Are the measurements reproducible?

Yes

4 Presentation of results

4.1 Are the basic data adequately described?

Yes

4.2 Are the results presented clearly, objectively and in sufficient detail to enable readers to make their own judgement?

Yes

4.3 Are the results internally consistent, i.e. do the numbers add up properly?

Yes

5 Analysis

5.1 Are the data suitable for analysis?

Yes

5.2 Are the methods appropriate to the data?

Yes

5.3 Are any statistics correctly performed and interpreted?

Basic only

6 Discussion

6.1 Are the results discussed in relation to existing knowledge on the subject and study objectives?

Yes

6.2 Is the discussion biased?

6.3 Can the results be generalised?

Yes

7 Interpretation

7.1 Are the authors' conclusions justified by the data?

Yes

7.2 What level of evidence has this paper presented? (using CEBM levels)

7.3 Does this paper help me answer my problem?

Yes

After CA, i rated this paper: 6/10

8 Implementation

8.1 Can any necessary change be implemented in practice?

? Patient Information Leaflet on driving

8.2 What aids to implementation exist?

8.3 What barriers to implementation exist?