Guo's first lecture

Question 1

Evidence Based Medicine

Answer 1

The integration of best research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values

Question 2

Evidence Based Pharmacotherapy

Answer 2

the integration of best research evidence, clinical PHARMACY expertise, and patient values

Question 3

Statistics

Answer 3

• acquisition of knowledge through the process of observation
• allow the researcher to summarize data & to distinguish b/w chance & systematic effects

Question 4

Descriptive Statistics

Answer 4

• Describe data that we collect or observe (empirical data)
• concerned with the presentation, organization, and summarization of data
• ex: pie charts, bar graphs, etc

Question 5

Inferential Statistics

Answer 5

• a range of procedures/statistical tests (ex. t-test, analysis of variance, or chi-square test, multiple regression analysis)
• allow us to generalize from our sample of data to a larger group of subjects

Question 6

Discrete Variable (Data)

Answer 6

• characterized by gaps or interruptions
• aka “Qualitative” data
• can only be whole numbers; limited set of values
• Ex: sex, marital status, blood type
• NO HERMAPHRODITES

Question 7

Continuous Variable (Data)

Answer 7

• no gaps or interruptions & may take any value within defined range
• aka “Quantitative” data
• Ex: height, weight, BP, blood glucose
• Hermaphrodites are okay

Question 8

Dependent Variable (Y)

Answer 8

• the outcome of interest, which should change in response to some interventions
• the variable you want to measure
• ex: final exam scores, blood glucose level, bioavailability

Question 9

Independent Variables (Xi)

Answer 9

• the intervention or what is being manipulated. A variable keeps changing it’s value. It allows us to control some of the research environment
• predictor variables
• Ex: temp, drug therapy, institutional vs community pharmacy

Question 10

Nominal Scale

Answer 10

• lowest level of measurement

- Named categories with no implied order among the categories

Question 11

Ordinal Scale

Answer 11

• same as nominal plus ordered categories; where the difference b/w categories cannot be considered to be equal

Question 12

Interval Scale

Answer 12

• same as ordinal plus equal intervals; Data has equal distances b/w scores, but the zero point is arbitrary

Question 13

Ratio Scale

Answer 13

• highest scale of measurement

- Data has equal intervals b/w scores and a meaningful zero point

Question 14

Random Sampling

Answer 14

• Equal chance of being included in the sample (everyone has a chance of getting in )
• Use of random numbers table

Question 15

Selective Sampling

Answer 15

• Not random sampling; convenient sampling

Question 16

Systematic Sampling

Answer 16

• systematically select subjects as sample

- Ex: it can be a systematic random sample in which every Xth is selected for a study

Question 17

Stratified Sampling

Answer 17

• Population is divided into subgroups (strata) with similar characteristics, then randomly select samples from each subgroup (stratum)

Question 18

Cluster Sampling

Answer 18

• also called multistage sampling
• many individual “primary” units that are clustered together in “secondary” units for further division (units can be sub-sampled)

Question 19

Mode

Answer 19

The value with the greatest frequency of occurence

Question 20

Median

Answer 20

The score that divides the distribution into the lower and upper 50 percent of the observations

Question 21

Mean

Answer 21

The center of gravity of distribution; or average score