Objectives To make informed health choices, and avoid waste and unnecessary suffering, people need critical thinking skills. However, like health interventions, educational interventions can have adverse effects.
In this systematic review, the objective was to assess the extent to which researchers have included potential adverse effects in studies of interventions intended to improve the critical thinking of laypeople about health choices. Design This study was a systematic review, in which we updated the search for an earlier systematic review of intended effects of relevant interventions.
The earlier review did not address potential adverse effects. We did not update the analysis of intended effects.
Data sources We searched Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, Epistemonikos, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (MEDLINE), Education Resources Information Center (ERIC) and Web of Science up to March 2025. In addition to studies from the original review and updated search, we included any additional studies included in a similar, even earlier review.
Our unit of analysis was study report (eg, journal article).
BMJ Open published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 24 Apr 2026.
The item focuses on Do studies of interventions to improve laypeoples critical thinking about health choices assess potential harms?
A systematic review.
Review the original article for the full source wording and details.