ALIGN

Question 1

what is an experimental research study?

Answer 1

investigator specifies the intervention as part of research design

Question 2

what is an observational research study?

Answer 2

the investigator DOES NOT specify the intervention

Question 3

what is included in both observational and experimental research designs

Answer 3

people are observed and the outcomes are recorded

Question 4

what is the difference between a controlled and an uncontrolled study

Answer 4

in a controlled group - more than 1 group is studied, there is comparison between the control group and the intervention group

in an uncontrolled group - there is a single group, no comparison is made

Question 5

what are some problems with research design?

Answer 5

short term outcomes by not predict long term benefit (shortcuts have negative consequences)

Question 6

what are some solutions to research designs?

Answer 6

consider future patients for the long term

follow through with RCTs until completion

Question 7

what is equipoise?

Answer 7

uncertainty about whether the intervention is better than the comparison (control)

Question 8

what is a placebo?

Answer 8

a substance or procedure that looks, tastes, sounds identical to the intervention but doesn’t have the active ingredient

Question 9

what is double blinding?

Answer 9

neither the participants nor investigators know what group the participant is in

Question 10

what is bias?

Answer 10

a systematic error or deviation in results or inferences from the truth

Question 11

What is selection bias? What is a solution to it?

Answer 11

non-randomization - the people in the comparison group are not the same as the people in the experimental group

solution = randomization and allocation concealment

Question 12

what is attrition bias? what is a solution for it?

Answer 12

systematic differences in withdrawls or exclusions of people in a study - excluding them from the results

solution - intention to treat analysis

Question 13

what is performance bias? what is a solution to it?

Answer 13

differences in the care given to each group (if the providers know what group you’re in and they treat you differently)

solution = double blinding

Question 14

what is information bias? what is a solution for it?

Answer 14

differences in how info is gathered from each group

solution =all groups measured the same, double blinding

Question 15

what is the least effective level of evidence?

Answer 15

unsystematic clinical observations

Question 16

what is the highest level of evidence?

Answer 16

systematic reviews of randomized trials

Question 17

what is the purpose of research?

Answer 17

to benefit future patients

Question 18

what is an ecologic study?

Answer 18

group comparisons of rates of diseases among different regions

rates of BC in japan vs in US

Question 19

what is a case report/case series study?

Answer 19

groups of patients are interviewd or fill out studies

case reports = describe NEW or unusual occurrences

case series = follow a group of patients

eg. what are the outcomes for 150 patients who are having a new hip surgery technique

Question 20

what is a cross sectional study?

Answer 20

a sample of a population at a given point in time

difficult to eval cause because you aren’t looking at a group over time - can just show prevalence of a disease

Question 21

what is a case control study?

Answer 21

people with and without a condition are compared on exposures/interventions they had in the past

Question 22

what is a cohort study?

Answer 22

groups who have an exposure are compared with those who don’t and are followed over time to see whether the condition being studied develops

Question 23

what is recall bias?

Answer 23

when cases cant recall the past accurately as compared to controls

Question 24

the nurses health study is an example of what type of study?

Answer 24

cohort