Weighing up the evidence: The contribution of critical literature reviews to the development of practice

Over the past decade there has been increasing awareness of the importance of using sound research evidence to assist clinicians, patients and clients to make informed decisions about aspects of care. The recent drive towards promoting evidence-based healthcare has provided an added impetus, highlighting the important and unique contribution of systematic reviews to this decision-making process. This paper argues that healthcare professionals should also draw on evidence and insights derived from a broader range of research traditions rather than relying on synthesised evidence from randomised controlled trials. The potential of other types of literature is explored