The level of evidence refers to how accurate research is and its ability to be incorporated into evidence-based practice. (Glasofer and Townsend 2019). Reviewed the John Hopkins hierarchy of evidence pyramid and explain that as researchers move through the pyramid from Level 1 down, the study designs become less rigorous, which may influence the results through the introduction of bias or conclusion errors. Evidence-based information aids in the identification of clinical practice guidelines that include advice supported by many levels of evidence. As discussed below, nursing practice incorporates a variety of levels of evidence (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2021): The top-level, level 1, includes randomized controlled studies, meta-analyses, and systematic reviews, which are well-designed studies that become evidence for the successful implementation of new interventions. A practice change that can occur due to level I is a new medication becoming available on the market for patients.
Level 2 includes quasi-experimental research that is not as strictly defined as level 1 and may not include randomization or a control group for comparison, but rather an intervention and a comparison of before and after, such as determining the success of a quality control measure implemented across an entire facility and then studied for success rates (Glasofer &Townsend, 2019)
Level 3 is nonexperimental studies like observational, descriptive, and some qualitative studies that do not involve an intervention but instead look at natural occurrences and identify contributing factors, which could be used to reveal areas in need of quality outcome changes or create a foundation for policy writing (Glasofer & Townsend, 2020).
Level 4 would include expert opinion articles, organizational panels, and existing clinical guidelines or statements, which are useful in writing facility policies based on professional organization suggestions. (Glasofer & Townsend, 2020b).
Level 5 consists of literature reviews, professional articles written by experts, and evaluations by organizations of finances or programs; these types of evidence may support the implementation of changes when presented to management boards for reviewing the efficacy of such intervention (Glasofer & Townsend, 2020b). The levels of evidence are an important component of evidence-based literature and practice. Understanding the levels and why they are assigned to publications and abstracts help the reader to prioritize information.
Respond to the above write up. Support your response with peer-reviewed articles.