pmph Flashcards
- Below is an abstract from a research study evaluating the effectiveness of powered toothbrushes:
Produce a PICO for this study
population - adults attending GDP
intervention - sonic powered toothbrush
comparison - reduction in plaque score between sonic vs manual
outcome - plaque reduction effectiveness
- What is the most appropriate primary study design for this study?
(1 mark)
randomised controlled trial (RCT)
- List TWO ways in which the researchers might minimise bias in this study?
Explain in what ways they reduce bias
(4 marks)
- randomised allocation
2.blinding = participant and assesor
participants shouldn’t know which brush they re using // assessor don’t know what brush participants used when checking for plaque
- Based on Table 1 above, what is the Absolute Risk Difference (ARD) for a reduction in plaque scores between the two toothbrush groups?
(1 mark)
o calculate the Absolute Risk Difference (ARD), we need to find the difference in the percentage of participants experiencing a reduction in plaque scores between the two toothbrush groups.
For the sonic power toothbrush group:
Percentage reduction = 62%
For the manual toothbrush group:
Percentage reduction = 54%
ARD = Percentage reduction with sonic power toothbrush - Percentage reduction with manual toothbrush
= 62% - 54%
= 8%
- The 95% confidence interval for the ARD = [ 3% to 13%]. Is there sufficient evidence for the effectiveness of the sonic power toothbrush compared to the manual toothbrush in reducing plaque scores?
(1 mark)
yes, there is
95% confidence interval for the Absolute Risk Difference (ARD) does not include zero (it ranges from 3% to 13%), it suggests that there is a statistically significant difference in plaque reduction between the two toothbrush groups
this indicates that the sonic power toothbrush is more effective than the manual toothbrush in reducing plaque scores.
- List TWO additional pieces of information you would wish to know before drawing firm conclusions on whether or not you would consider recommending Sonic power toothbrushes to your patients
(1 mark)
long term effectiveness
adverse effects
how would you calculate absolute risk reduction (ARR)
risk (failure) in control group - risk (failure) in intervention group
number needed to treat
1/ ARR (absolute risk reduction)
- What is the most appropriate primary study design to “to evaluate the potential benefit of an ultrasonic device in apical surgery on the outcome of treatment”?
(1 mark)
randomised control trial (RCT)
- List the FOUR main features of this study design: (2 marks)
randomisation
control group
blinding
follow up
- Choosing ONE of these features, describe how you would implement it in the above study:
(2 marks)
blinding = outcome assessors
evaluation assessors shouldn’t be aware who got which treatment
- In relation to the Absolute risk difference and the 95% Confidence Interval, (-0.8% to 18.9%) what conclusion would you draw from the table? Explain your answer.
(2 marks)
The confidence interval includes both positive and negative values, indicating that there is uncertainty about the true effect of the ultrasonic device compared to the bur in apical surgery.
Given the wide range and the inclusion of zero within the interval, it suggests that the difference in outcomes between the ultrasonic device group and the bur group may not be statistically significant. In other words, there is insufficient evidence to conclude that the ultrasonic device provides a significant benefit or harm compared to the bur in apical surgery based on the data provided. Further studies with larger sample sizes or different methodologies may be needed to draw more definitive conclusions.
- List FOUR patient-related factors which should be considered when interpreting the results:
(2 marks)
- pre-existing MH = diabetes or CVS affects healing
- OH habits
- anatomy of the surgical site
- compliance with post op instructions
- Name the standards developed to improve the reporting of randomized controlled trials?
(1 mark)
CASP
critical appraisal skills programme
- A 56 year old male patient comes to the dental practice for a routine dental examination.
You can see from the notes that he smokes 20 cigarettes per day. What other questions would you ask him around his tobacco use and to ascertain whether he would be interested in quitting?
(4 marks)
how many years he has been smoking for?
age when started smoking?
quitting history -
has he tried before?
how many attempts? if so, what methods were used?
any interest to quit?
trigger for smoking?
is he aware of health concerns?
would the patient be interested in getting further help and support?
motivation to quit?
- He admits that he feels that he is very dependent on tobacco. Give a definition of dependence.
(1 mark)
a state of physiological and psychological reliance on nicotine, the addictive substance in tobacco.
it is characterized by a strong craving for nicotine, difficulty controlling or stopping tobacco use, and experiencing withdrawal symptoms when attempting to quit or reduce tobacco consumption.