Table 2.

Key questions to address when analyzing an article

Section	Questions
Background	Have previous studies been done on this topic? If so, what were the results, and how do they lay the groundwork for the article being presented? What is the aim or hypothesis of this article?
Methods	What type of study was completed (e.g., randomized controlled trial, prospective cohort study)? Were patients randomized between control and treatment groups? Were the groups blinded? Were patients appropriately followed and accounted for at the end of the study?
Results	Were treatment and control groups similar after randomization? Were results analyzed based on the intention-to-treat principle? What were the results? How large was the treatment effect (calculation of relative and adjusted risk ratios and number needed to treat)? Were the results statistically significant (confidence intervals and P value)? Were there any complications or side effects?
Conclusions	What are the conclusions of the article? Were the results clinically significant? Can I apply the results to my patients and clinical practice? What are the strengths of the article? What are the limitations of the article? What future directions may be taken to further substantiate the conclusions?