Evidence literacy · 4 min read
Read the claim. Then examine the evidence.
Understand source checks, independence, study quality, and what an unknown actually means.
A checked source, independent research, and a locally useful result are three different things.
Begin with the exact claim
Identify the outcome, denominator, comparison, setting, and time period. 'Reduced administrative work' is not equivalent to a measured reduction in total staff hours. Keep the claim close to what the source actually establishes, including qualifications.
Questions to take into the conversation
- Is this a measured outcome, a deployment announcement, or an estimate?
- Is the comparison before-and-after, concurrent, randomized, or absent?
- Were implementation costs and adverse results reported?
Source class is a starting point
Peer review does not remove conflicts of interest or guarantee generalizability. An independent publication may report a vendor's unverified statement. A regulatory record answers a defined regulatory question. Read the underlying material before drawing a broader conclusion.
Questions to take into the conversation
- Who produced the underlying data?
- What role did the vendor play in funding, analysis, and publication?
- Does the population and product version match your intended use?
Read HealthIT's labels precisely
A source-checked claim passed our documentary verification process. Source independence is a separate attribute. Freshness is calculated at the displayed snapshot cutoff, not continuously. A product outside the evidence standard remains useful to research; the exclusion describes this corpus, not the product's quality.
Questions to take into the conversation
- Open the claim's source and its verification state.
- Check the source date and the snapshot cutoff.
- Record the missing evidence that would change your decision.
Sources & scope
This guide combines HealthIT's suggested evaluation questions with the primary references below. It is educational material; application depends on the specific product, workflow, organization, and jurisdiction.
HealthIT's published methodology defines the labels used on this site.
Found something that needs correction? Send a source-backed correction.