BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cohort studies are useful to identify risk and prognostic factors, assess disease natural history and verify the impact of diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. This article aims to guide readers on how to critically assess papers using a cohort research design. CONTENTS: For a critical appraisal of cohort studies, one must observe: the existence of selection and information bias, the continuity of the follow-up, the control of confounding variables, the significance of the results and its applicability in clinical practice. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of factors which affect the quality of cohort studies allows intensive care professionals to select the best available evidence to guide the decision making process.
cohort analysis; cohort studies; epidemiologic research design; literature review
