Critical Appraisal of RCT: Pressure Injury Prevention Study Report

This report offers a critical appraisal of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) by Pickham et al. (2018), investigating the effectiveness of a wearable patient sensor in preventing pressure injuries in acutely ill adults within an ICU setting. The report utilizes the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) framework to assess the study's validity, examining clarity of aims, randomization, allocation concealment, blinding, group similarities, missing data, and intention-to-treat analysis. It evaluates the primary and secondary outcomes, including the size and precision of the intervention effect, and statistical significance. The study's PICOT framework is also discussed. The report concludes with an application of the study findings to a clinical scenario, considering the relevance of the results to patient care, local settings, and potential benefits, harms, and costs.