Appraising a New Procedure

Appraising a new procedure means judging where it sits in its evolution, what evidence should exist at that point, and whether the studies behind it are sound.

New procedures reach sport and exercise medicine (SEM) faster than evidence does. They are harder to evaluate than drugs:

• •There is no dose to standardise
• •The operator learns as they go
• •Blinding is difficult and patient and clinician preferences are strong
• •The procedure often changes while it is being studied