Critical appraisal of cetuximab

4 Were patients, health workers and study rYes personnel ‘blind’ to treatment?

HINT: Think about

• Patients?
• Health workers?
• Study personnel?

5. Were the groups similar at the start of the trial? rYes

HINT: Look at

• Other factors that might affect the outcome such as age,

sex, social class

6. Aside from the experimental intervention, rYes were the groups treated equally?
7. How large was the treatment effect?

HINT: Consider

• What outcomes were measured?
• Is the primary outcome clearly specified?
• What results were found for each outcome?

• 8. How precise was the estimate of the treatment effect?

HINT: Consider
· What are the confidence limits?

9. Can the results be applied in your context? (or to the local population?)

HINT: Consider whether

• Do you think that the patients covered by the trial are similar enough to the patients to whom you will apply this?, if not how to they differ?
• Is there other information you would like to have seen?
• If not, does this affect the decision?
• Are the benefits worth the harms and costs?
• HINT: Consider
• Even if this is not addressed by the trial, what do you think?

10. Were all clinically important outcomes considered?

HINT: Consider