Biostats, Research, Ethics, Forensics, Policy, Epidemiology, Etc.

Question 1

What is attrition bias? How can you reduce it?

Answer 1

Bias resulting from differential withdrawals of participants from different comparison groups. It is a major concern in studies that suffer from unequal loss of participants from different groups which are being compared. To reduce the risk of attrition bias, researchers should practice higher rates of follow-up.

Question 1

What is lead time bias?

Answer 1

The phenomenon where early diagnosis of a disease falsely makes it look like people are surviving longer. It is often a concern in studies that involve early screening for disease.

Question 2

What type of bias are case-control retrospective studies commonly susceptible to?

Answer 2

Recall Bias - the tendency among individuals who develop a condition to have better recall of potentially
contributing factors

Question 3

What is a type I error?

Answer 3

The probability of detecting a treatment effect (difference) when the effect does not exist.

Question 4

What is a type II error?

Answer 4

The probability of not detecting a treatment effect (difference) when an effect does exist

Question 5

How does volume of distribution change with age?

Answer 5

As we age, more of our body composition is fat (at lest 30% by the time we are elderly) and muscle mass and water decreases –> this leads to a larger volume of distribution –> causing longer half-life of lipophilic drugs (slower clearance)

Question 6

Starting at what age can an individual give consent to HIV screening? The CDC has also mandated HIV screening for all patients undergoing treatment for what infection?

Answer 6

13 years old; Tuberculosis

Question 7

What is a correlation coefficient? What is the range? What do positive/negative correlation coefficients indicate?

Answer 7

1) Measurement of the direction and strength of the relationship between two variables
2) Pearson correlation coefficient is on a scale from -1 to +1. The closer the coefficient is to -1 or +1 shows a strong relationship while close to 0 shows a weak relationship.
3) A positive correlation means that one variable moves the other in the same direction, while negative means it moves the other in the opposite direction.

Question 8

The method of obtaining a prediction for the value of one variable in relation to another variable is called?

Answer 8

Regression analysis

Question 9

What is relative risk?

Answer 9

The ratio of the incidence of a condition in those with risk factors to the incidence of the condition in those without risk factors

Question 10

What is attributable risk?

Answer 10

The absolute incidence of the illness in patients exposed to the condition that can be attributed to the exposure

Question 11

What is a type 1 (alpha) error?

Answer 11

The null hypothesis (H0) is rejected when it is true. Meaning erroneously concluding the difference between groups is due to an experimental effect when it’s just due to random fluctuation – that a difference was determined when there was no difference at all.

Question 12

What is a type 2 (beta) error?

Answer 12

Accepting the null hypothesis and rejecting alternate hypothesis when the null hypothesis should be rejected and the alternate hypothesis should be accepted. Plain English: Failing to get a significant result when in truth an effect is present.

Question 13

What is absolute risk?

Answer 13

The probability of developing a certain disease (or outcome) over a specific period of time. The absolute risk is equivalent to the incidence rate
Absolute Risk (AR) = the number of events (good or bad) in a treated (exposed) or control (nonexposed) group, divided by the number of people in that group

Question 14

What is confounding?

Answer 14

Confounding occurs when the relationship between exposure and outcome is distorted by the introduction of a third variable

Question 15

What is the M’Naghten Rule?

Answer 15

A mental disease or defect at the time of the act caused them not to know the nature and quality or the wrongfulness of the act. SIMPLY PUT  Capacity to know right from wrong.

Question 16

The legal concept of _____ allows the state to intervene and act as a surrogate parent for those who are unable to care for themselves or who may harm themselves.

Answer 16

Parens patriae

Question 17

What are the 4 elements that must be proven for a medical malpractice civil suit/tort?

Answer 17

The 4 D’s: Duty, Dereliction, Damages, and Direct Cause

Question 18

The right to maintain confidentiality in the face of a subpoena is referred to as?

Answer 18

Privilege (doctor/therapist-patient communications are considered privileged communications which the law protects from forced disclosure on the witness stand –> the right to privilege belongs to the patient and NOT the physician so only the patient may wave this right)

Question 19

To be found guilty for a socially harmful act/crime, the accused must demonstrate what two findings?

Answer 19

1) Mens rea = evil intent
2) Actus reus = voluntary conduct

Question 20

What does the term ‘respondeat superior’ mean?

Answer 20

A person occupying a high position in a hierarchy is responsible for those in lower positions

Question 21

What is ‘substituted judgement’?

Answer 21

When a surrogate decision maker makes aa decision on the basis of what the patient would have wanted, taking into account the patient’s wishes and values.