Critical appraisal is an element of evidence-based medicine, which is defined as the process of carefully and systematically examining a research article to determine its reliability, validity and value in clinical practice. The major components evaluated in critical appraisal are validity, importancy, and applicability. The level of reliability of study results depend on the design of study, i...

BACKGROUND Medical students in clerkship are continuously confronted with real and relevant patient problems. To support clinical problem solving skills, students perform a Critical Appraisal of a Topic (CAT) task, often resulting in a paper. Because such a paper may contain errors, students could profit from discussion with peers, leading to paper revision. Active peer discussion by a Computer...