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Retrospective chart reviews are an important part of biomedical research. These studies can provide valuable information that can be used to improve patient care and inform future research studies. However, it’s important to conduct retrospective chart reviews carefully to ensure the accuracy and validity of your findings. Below are some of the best practices in retrospective chart reviews.
Define your research question and hypotheses
The first step in conducting a retrospective chart review is to define your research question and the hypotheses that you will test. This will help you determine what data you need to collect and analyze. Your research question should include the specific variables you will collect data on and also the time frame you will focus on. For example, “What is the incidence of postoperative infections in patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery in XYZ hospital between 2018 and 2020?”
At this stage, it’s important to define and operationalize the main variables of interest. For example, are you defining “poor glycemic control” in terms of HbA1c or fasting blood glucose levels or post-prandial blood glucose levels or a combination of all three? Such decisions need to be made at the start of the study so that data are extracted accurately and efficiently.
Decide sample size and sampling strategy
Once you’ve defined your research question, you need to identify your study population and subsequently determine sample size and sampling strategy. This includes determining the inclusion and exclusion criteria for your study. Inclusion criteria may include factors such as age, gender, diagnosis, and treatment, while exclusion criteria may include factors such as comorbidities, previous surgeries, or incomplete medical records. Before commencing data collection, you need to decide both sample size (while considering statistical power) and your sampling methodology. Convenience sampling is widely used for retrospective chart reviews, but this sampling method limits the generalizability of your results.
Collect data
After identifying your study population, you need to collect data from their medical records. This may include demographic data, medical history, laboratory results, imaging studies, and treatment information. It’s important to ensure that your data collection is standardized to reduce errors and improve the reliability of your findings. It is a good idea to develop standardized data abstraction forms as well as a manual outlining data collection procedures, which you can use to train your data abstractors and monitor their performance.
Analyze your data
Once you’ve collected your data, you need to analyze it using appropriate statistical methods. This may include descriptive statistics such as means, medians, and standard deviations, as well as inferential statistics such as chi-square tests, t-tests, and regression analysis. It’s a good idea to first inspect the data for any outliers and to verify that all assumptions for the tests you are using have been met.
Interpret your findings
After analyzing your data, you need to interpret your findings in the context of your research question. This may involve comparing your results to existing literature or guidelines, identifying potential confounding variables, and discussing the implications of your findings for patient care and future research.
Address limitations
It’s important to acknowledge and address any limitations of your retrospective chart review. This may include issues such as missing data, selection bias, or confounding variables. Discussing these limitations and their potential impact on your findings can help improve the validity and reliability of your research.
Conclusion
A retrospective chart review can provide valuable insights related to patient care and/or public health. By following best practices in data collection, analysis, and interpretation, you can ensure you are generating high-quality evidence.
Consult with statistical experts to improve the quality of your retrospective chart reviews and other analyses! Book an appointment through Editage’s Statistical Analysis & Review Services.
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