Evidence Flashcards
What is Evidence?
Any empirical observations about the apparent relation between events**Proof of your research
4 Examples of Evidence
- Published research articles- Clinical practice guidelines- Patient/client records- Recall or prior patient/client cases
Why is a research emphasized in EBPT?
Due to its ability to provide objective, unbiased results. This is achieved by having a greater quantity of test subjects
What is bias?
Result or inferences that systematically deviate from the truth or the process leading to such deviation
How can you reduce the chance that bias will influence a study’s results?
Impose maximum control within the design
4 research designs on the continuum from least bias control to most bias contro
- Case Report- Nonexperimental Design- Quasi-Experimental- Experimental
Describe a Case Report
This is a detailed description of the management of a pt/client that serves as a basis for research **Least Bias Control
Describe Nonexperimental Designs
A research design in which controlled manipulation of the subjects is lacking (surveys for example) **2nd least bias control
Desribe Quasi-Experimental Designs
These are research designs in which there is only one subject group or in which randomization to more than one group is lacking (there is no control group) **2nd most bias control
Describe Experimental Designs
These are research designs in which the behavior of randomly assigned groups of subjects is measured following the purposeful manipulation of an independent variable in at least one of the groups **Most bias control
What is a variable?
a character state of a group or person such as gender, age, weight, scores, etc. that you wish to compare
What is a Independent Variable?
a variable that can be changed based on the research you plan on doing
What is a dependent variable?
a variable that cannot be changed
The _____ variable depends on the ______ variable. Why?
DependentIndependentBecause when the independent variable changes the dependent variable relies on it
What is another way research designs can be categorized?
According to the time line used in the study
4 Types of Research Designs categorized by time
- Retrospective Design - Prospective Design - Cross-sectional - Longitudinal
Retrospective Design
a research design that uses past data from sources such as medical records, insurance claims, or outcomes databases
Prospective Design
a research design that follows subjects forward over a specific period of time
Cross-Sectional Study
a study that collects data about a phenomenon during a single point in time or once within a defined time interval
Longitudinal Study
a study that looks at a phenomenon occurring over time
The clinical question the Physical Therapist wants to answer will determine what?
which form of evidence to seek
What are the ranking systems for research designs based on?
The ability to minimize bias
What is the hierarchy of evidence (from highest to lowest)
1) Randomized Clinical Trials2) Cohort (group) Studies3) Case control Studies 4) Case-series study5) Expert Opinion
What are some limitations of evidence hierarchies?
They are only tools to facilitate EBPT, Physical Therapists must read and critically appraise the evidence before using it in clinical decisions.
