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Evidence-Based Review of the
Six Step Asthma Management Plan
 
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Evidence Based Review of the Six Step Asthma Management Plan
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Foreword
Background
Evidence
Literature
Results
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Alternatives
Step 5
Step 6
Acknowledgments
Content created Feb 2000
Page updated Jul 2005

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Synthesis of the Literature

Two approaches to synthesising the literature were adopted:

  1. Critically Appraised Recommendations
  2. Cochrane Systematic Reviews
Critically Appraised Recommendations (CAR)

A Critically Appraised Recommendation (CAR) is a comparative summary of all the randomised controlled trials which relate to a clinical question derived from a recommendation in the Asthma Management Handbook. 

Cochrane Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses

A Cochrane Systematic Review is a comprehensive, systematic, qualitative and quantitative analysis of randomised trials. Systematic reviews are superior to critically appraised recommendations as they provide quantitative estimations of effect size, attempt to identify all available trials in any language and use methods that minimise bias.

Full versions of the Cochrane Systematic Reviews referred to in this booklet are available on The Cochrane Library 1999 (CDSR: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews).