Evaluation Process

This section explains our processes for checking the scientific validity and reliability of our evaluations of interventions on this website.

The Information Manager agrees to write and/or update a factsheet on an intervention.
The Information Manager undertakes a literature review to identify any other relevant references. The review includes searching a range of key databases.
The Information Manager looks at the summaries of the materials, discards any which do no meet the agreed criteria, and then obtains full copies of all of the remaining references.
Each reference is then analysed against a standard checklist to determine the scientific validity of the research. This checklist is an amended version of the checklists developed by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence for similar purposes.
The key findings are then put into an evidence table - which allows us to compare information from a range of studies.
The Information Manager then pulls all of this information together, using an agreed template, and adds additional information about the intervention for people who know nothing about the subject.
The materials are then sent to three topic experts for comments and criticism.
If necessary, the Information Manager amends the information based on the feedack from the three topic experts.
We plan to check and update the information once every three years.

Rate This Page