Evaluating evidence: Defining levels and quality using critical appraisal mixed methods tools

Evaluating evidence for the built environment is not easy, and many professionals struggle with the challenge of identifying the best available research. This article outlines the current state of science for evaluating evidence in healthcare design, drawing on previous discussion articles in this journal and introducing a Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT), which can be used by professional designers to evaluate research evidence for healthcare design. Two case studies are provided to illustrate the use of the MMAT with an evidence levels algorithm.