CRITICAL APPRAISAL

SAMUEL
RESEARCH QUESTION
PICO

Adults (>18 years), current and former smokers who had ever used smoking
P cessation medications.

I Online survey ( http://www.stop-tabac.ch/en/NRTpref/ )

C -

O Preference for Smoking Cessation

APPRAISAL
VALIDITY (1)
Were there clearly defined groups of patients,
1 similar in all important ways other than Not applicable
exposure to the treatment or other cause?

Were treatments/exposures and clinical

outcomes measured in the same ways in both
2 groups (was the assessment of outcomes
Not applicable
either objective or blinded to exposure)?

Was the follow-up of study patients complete

3 and long enough?
Not applicable
VALIDITY (2)

Is it clear that the exposure preceded

4 Not applicable
the onset of the outcome?

5 Is there a dose-response gradient? Not applicable

Is there positive evidence from a

6 Not applicable
dechallenge-rechallenge study?
VALIDITY (3)
Yes. Several comparative tests of NRTs indicated
Is the association that product characteristics (e.g. , dosage, ease of use, dislike of form
of administration, side effects) affect preferences and choice ( Etter,
7 consistent from Laszlo, Zellweger, Perrot, & Perneger, 2002 ; Schneider, Cortner,
study to study? Gould, Koury, & Olmstead, 2008 ; Schneider, Cortner, Justice,
et al., 2008 ; Schneider et al., 2005 ; Schneider et al., 2006 ).

Does the
8 association make Yes
biological sense?
IMPORTANCE (1)
APPLICABILITY
Is your patient so different from those in the study
1 No
that its results dont apply?
What are your patients risks of the adverse
event?
To calculate the NNH (number of patients you
need to treat to harm one of them) for any odds
2 ratio (OR) and your patients expected event rate Not applicable
for this adverse event if they were not exposed to
this treatment (PEER):
PEER(OR 1) 1
NNH
PEER(OR 1) (1 PEER)
 What are your patients Varenicline was perceived as the best medication
3 preferences, concerns and overall. Of the NRTs, lozenges/tablets were the best
complied with.
expectations from this?

What alternative are

4 Gum
available?