TheJoannaBriggsInstituteCriticalAppraisaltoolsforuseinJBISystematicReviewsChecklistforCaseReports©JoannaBriggsInstitute2016CriticalAppraisalChecklistforCaseReports2TheJoannaBriggsInstituteIntroductionTheJoannaBriggsInstitute(JBI)isaninternational,membershipbasedresearchanddevelopmentorganizationwithintheFacultyofHealthSciencesattheUniversityofAdelaide.TheInstitutespecializesinpromotingandsupportingevidence-basedhealthcarebyprovidingaccesstoresourcesforprofessionalsinnursing,midwifery,medicine,andalliedhealth.Withover80collaboratingcentresandentities,servicingover90countries,theInstituteisarecognizedgloballeaderinevidence-basedhealthcare.JBISystematicReviewsThecoreofevidencesynthesisisthesystematicreviewofliteratureofaparticularintervention,conditionorissue.Thesystematicreviewisessentiallyananalysisoftheavailableliterature(thatis,evidence)andajudgmentoftheeffectivenessorotherwiseofapractice,involvingaseriesofcomplexsteps.TheJBItakesaparticularviewonwhatcountsasevidenceandthemethodsutilizedtosynthesizethosedifferenttypesofevidence.Inlinewiththisbroaderviewofevidence,theInstitutehasdevelopedtheories,methodologiesandrigorousprocessesforthecriticalappraisalandsynthesisofthesediverseformsofevidenceinordertoaidinclinicaldecision-makinginhealthcare.TherenowexistsJBIguidanceforconductingreviewsofeffectivenessresearch,qualitativeresearch,prevalence/incidence,etiology/risk,economicevaluations,text/opinion,diagnostictestaccuracy,mixed-methods,umbrellareviewsandscopingreviews.FurtherinformationregardingJBIsystematicreviewscanbefoundintheJBIReviewer’sManualonourwebsite.JBICriticalAppraisalToolsAllsystematicreviewsincorporateaprocessofcritiqueorappraisaloftheresearchevidence.Thepurposeofthisappraisalistoassessthemethodologicalqualityofastudyandtodeterminetheextenttowhichastudyhasaddressedthepossibilityofbiasinitsdesign,conductandanalysis.Allpapersselectedforinclusioninthesystematicreview(thatis–thosethatmeettheinclusioncriteriadescribedintheprotocol)needtobesubjectedtorigorousappraisalbytwocriticalappraisers.Theresultsofthisappraisalcanthenbeusedtoinformsynthesisandinterpretationoftheresultsofthestudy.JBICriticalappraisaltoolshavebeendevelopedbytheJBIandcollaboratorsandapprovedbytheJBIScientificCommitteefollowingextensivepeerreview.Althoughdesignedforuseinsystematicreviews,JBIcriticalappraisaltoolscanalsobeusedwhencreatingCriticallyAppraisedTopics(CAT),injournalclubsandasaneducationaltool.©JoannaBriggsInstitute2016CriticalAppraisalChecklistforCaseReports3JBICriticalAppraisalChecklistforCaseReportsReviewerDateAuthorYearRecordNumberYesNoUnclearNotapplicable1.Werepatient’sdemographiccharacteristicsclearlydescribed?□□□□2.Wasthepatient’shistoryclearlydescribedandpresentedasatimeline?□□□□3.Wasthecurrentclinicalconditionofthepatientonpresentationclearlydescribed?□□□□4.Werediagnostictestsorassessmentmethodsandtheresultsclearlydescribed?□□□□5.Wastheintervention(s)ortreatmentprocedure(s)clearlydescribed?□□□□6.Wasthepost-interventionclinicalconditionclearlydescribed?□□□□7.Wereadverseevents(harms)orunanticipatedeventsidentifiedanddescribed?□□□□8.Doesthecasereportprovidetakeawaylessons?□□□□Overallappraisal:Include□Exclude□Seekfurtherinfo□Comments(Includingreasonforexclusion)©JoannaBriggsInstitute2016CriticalAppraisalChecklistforCaseReports4ExplanationofcasereportscriticalappraisalHowtocite:TheJoannaBriggsInstitute.JoannaBriggsInstituteReviewers'Manual:2016edition.Australia:TheJoannaBriggsInstitute;2016.CaseReportsCriticalAppraisalToolAnswers:Yes,No,UnclearorNot/Applicable1.Werepatient’sdemographiccharacteristicsclearlydescribed?Doesthecasereportclearlydescribepatient'sage,sex,race,medicalhistory,diagnosis,prognosis,previoustreatments,pastandcurrentdiagnostictestresults,andmedications?Thesettingandcontextmayalsobedescribed.2.Wasthepatient’shistoryclearlydescribedandpresentedasatimeline?Agoodcasereportwillclearlydescribethehistoryofthepatient,theirmedical,familyandpsychosocialhistoryincludingrelevantgeneticinformation,aswellasrelevantpastinterventionsandtheiroutcomes.(CAREChecklist2013).3.Wasthecurrentclinicalconditionofthepatientonpresentationclearlydescribed?Thecurrentclinicalconditionofthepatientshouldbedescribedindetailincludingtheuniquenessofthecondition/disease,symptoms,frequencyandseverity.Thecasereportshouldalsobeabletopresentwhetherdifferentialdiagnoseswasconsidered.4.Werediagnostictestsormethodsandtheresultsclearlydescribed?Areaderofthecasereportshouldbeprovidedsufficientinformationtounderstandhowthepatientwasassessed.Itisimportantthatallappropriatetestsareorderedtoconfirmadiagnosisandthereforethecasereportshouldprovideacleardescriptionofvariousdiagnostictestsused(whetheragoldstandardoralternativediagnostictests).Photographsorillustrationsofdiagnosticprocedures,radiographs,ortreatmentproceduresareusuallypresentedwhenappropriatetoconveyaclearmessagetoreaders.©JoannaBriggsInstitute2016CriticalAppraisalChecklistforCaseReports55.Wastheintervention(s)