Evaluating Ophthalmic Literature

Abstract

Over the past two decades, we have heard an increasing demand for practicing evidence-based medicine. The medical literature is the core of our knowledge base in ophthalmology. The so-called “hierarchy of evidence” has caused much unresolved controversy about the nature of evidence that is truly most relevant for the practice of glaucoma. While systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize the information in a broad range of studies, the highest level of basic research is still considered the “randomized clinical trial (RCT).”