Lec 4 Flashcards

1
Q

what is the aim of a research study for an optometrist

A

to underpin understanding of clinical and health research methods relevant to the practising optometrist

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2
Q

what are the 2 types of EBM

A
  • primary research

- secondary research

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3
Q

what is primary research

A
  • it is written by the researchers themselves
  • usually in journals or articles
  • it is the outcome of a single study
  • peer reviewed
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4
Q

what is secondary research

A
  • summarises findings of multiple trials, experiments or surveys on the same topic
    (answering a research question by looking at research papers produced by others)
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5
Q

what is the aim of a experiment in clinical research

A

proving or contradicting a hypothesis with data

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6
Q

what is a experiment in clinical research interested in

A

interested in an outcome (dependent) which may be influenced by an attribute (independent)

in the form of an EBM

e.g. does smoking cause AMD

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7
Q

name the 2 primary research study types

A
  • observational studies
  • experimental studies (clinical trials)

which are 2 different ways of answering a hypothesis

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8
Q

how does an observational study work

A

the investigator has no control over exposures to risk or treatments and instead observes what happens to groups of people

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9
Q

how does a experimental study (clinical trial) work

A

conditions are under the direct control of the investigator

e.g. select a sample of people and follow up with them and a control group in X amount of years and then notice a pattern

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10
Q

which type of primary research study type provides the best evidence for clinical research and why

A

experimental studies (clinical trials)

as it is the best way to prove something, we do something/there is an intervention

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11
Q

what are the 3 forms of study in observational studies and when does each occur

A
  • retrospective study - in the past
  • present time
  • prospective study - in the future
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12
Q

name the 4 types of observational studies and what differentiates them

A
  • case reports
  • case-control study
  • cross-sectional study
  • cohort study

the time when the studies were done

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13
Q

which 2 types of study is a retrospective study (done in the past)

A
  • case reports
  • case-control study

information and data were done in the past

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14
Q

which type of study is carried out at present and give an example

A

cross sectional study e.g. a survey

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15
Q

which type of study is a prospective study (done in the future)

A

cohort study

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16
Q

which type of retrospective study is typically done on one person

A

case report

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17
Q

give an example of how a case report is carried out

A
  • look through patient records
  • e.g. select a patient with AMD
  • assess whether they are smokers
18
Q

name the advantages of a case report

A

quick, simple and cheap

19
Q

name the disadvantage of a case report

A

no control group - px may have developed AMD anyway, so not sure if its to to with the attribute your looking at or to do with the person itself

20
Q

which type of retrospective study is considered to be at the bottom of the hierarchy of EBM and why

A

case reports

it is a type of anecdotal evidence and carries the least weight

21
Q

what can a case report lead to

A

bigger sorts of questions

22
Q

what is the next best type of retrospective study to do if you dont have a case report

A

case-control study

23
Q

what is the difference between a case report and a case-control type of retrospective study

A

case-control type has control group

24
Q

list the advantages of a case control study

A
  • relatively easy to do

- provides a measure of risk of smoking beyond chance (compared to what it would be if your won’t a smoker)

25
Q

what can be difficult with a case-control study

A

selecting the ‘matched’ control group
e.g. it is difficult to make sure your control group are exactly the same as the patient with the AMD, but only difference is they haven’t got AMD = hard to match the group

26
Q

list 3 disadvantages of a case-control study

A
  • recall bias
  • inaccuracy of retrospective data
  • detection bias
27
Q

how is recall bias a disadvantage of a case-control study

A

it is interviewing and selectively recalling past event - it is done by other people, so may not have real truth in it especially if it is remembered and not recorded as this can be forgotten

28
Q

what is an example of inaccuracy of retrospective data, as a disadvantage of a case-control study

A

incomplete hospital notes
so your relying on other people to collect the data and not done yourself so the information may not be collected properly

29
Q

explain how detection bias is a disadvantage of a case-control study

A

exposure related to risk of detection e.g. diabetes or obesity

the way we collect our data is important as well

30
Q

how are cross-sectional studies carried out

A

done via a survey or questionnaire, done in one snapshot at a time/at present

31
Q

what is another work for prospective observational studies

A

longitudinal studies

32
Q

what is the idea of a prospective/cohort study

A

to identify a study group and follow them in the future

33
Q

what is the advantages of a prospective/cohort study

A
  • better data and extra information

- no recall bias and people entering the data incorrectly

34
Q

list the 3 disadvantages of a prospective/cohort study

A
  • long and expensive
  • loss to follow up (subjects change habits, move or die)
  • surveillance bias (at risk group is monitored too closely) e.g. done too carefully which is how you wouldn’t normally do it in real life
35
Q

what arises in all observational studies

A

confounding

36
Q

what is a confounder

A

a 3rd variable which explains or masks the observational effect

37
Q

how can you figure out the confounders

A

it is to match the people your looking at with controls

38
Q

how can you avoid confounding

A

by careful matching

39
Q

what is the confounder in ‘number of limb fractures is lower in student nurses than in the age-matched university population of the same size’

A

gender

40
Q

what is the confounder in ‘several published observational studies have indicated a high rate of lung cancer in professional chefs’

A

gender, smokers, stress

41
Q

what is the confounder in ‘a published study indicates that myopia development in children is affected by ambient light in the bedroom’

A

genetic/parents

42
Q

list the hierarchy of observational studies from highest to lowest rank

A
  1. cohort studies
  2. case-control studies
  3. cross-sectional studies
  4. case reports