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SF quizzes > Research Methods > Flashcards

Research Methods Flashcards

1
Q

What is a case report?

A

-Detailed description of an individual patient with unusual or rare condition/case
-leads to speculation about possible causes
ex thalidomide study, FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome), ether

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2
Q

What is a Case series?

A

Extension of case reports: cluster of individuals with same condition

ex. toxic shock syndrome from rely brand tampons (staph aureus)

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3
Q

What are ecological or cross sectional studies?

A
  • Descriptive or analytical
  • Descriptive if: no hypothesis, no specific exposure/outcome, no valid comparison groups
  • Population level measures (unit of analysis)
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4
Q

3 common types of analytical studies?

A

1-ecological or cross-sectional studies
2-case control studies
3-cohort studies

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5
Q

What is a descriptive study

A
  • Characterize outcomes (morbidity/mortality) by place-person-time, and have no a prior hypothesis
  • 2 types (case reports & case series)
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6
Q

Type 2 error = ?

A

= Beta, i.e. False negative rate

=When you do not reject the null hypotheis, when you should have (there is in fact a difference)

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7
Q

Type 1 error = ?

A

Alpha, false positive rate

Shows a difference, when in fact there isn’t one

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8
Q

Power = ?

A

Power = 1 - beta

Rate of telling the true difference

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9
Q

What is an ecological fallacy?

A
  • Making an association between 2 populations, when in fact at the individual level, there is no causation.
  • Ex assuming causation in a popn that has higher rates of obesity and diabetes than another, but may miss causation at an individual level
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10
Q

What is a cross sectional study (different than ecological)?

A
  • Assess exposure and outcome at the same time (in one time point)
  • Example are surveys
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11
Q

Limitation of a cross-sectional study?

A

Establishing temporality

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12
Q

Retrospective case-control study principles ? (2 ideas)

A
  • start by classifying subjects based on outcome status
  • look back in time for exposure status
  • uses ODDs RATIO (OR)
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13
Q

Can you measure relative risk in case control studies?

A

No, because you dont know the true population of those who were exposed.

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14
Q

Formula for OR (odds ratio)

A

OR = (a/b) divided by (c/d)

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15
Q

What are case control studies good for ?

A
  • RARE conditions

- Usually need a larger population to capture a condition if its RARE (in the case of a prospective cohort).

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16
Q

What type of bias affects case control studies in particular?

A
  • Recall bias

- Patients are more likely to recall an exposure (when there may not have been one), if they are diseased

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17
Q

Prospective cohort study?

A
  • Classify based exposure status (exp vs non exposed)

- Follow forward in time (looking for an outcome)

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18
Q

Advantage of a prospective cohort study? Disadvantage?

Example being Framingham study

A

adv - Establish temporality

disadvantage - Very costly

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19
Q

What does Relative Risk > 1 imply?

A

Implies a hazard

20
Q

RR

A

Implies protective factor

21
Q

What is RETROSPECTIVE COHORT study?

A
  • historical cohort, where data is already collected

- existing data sources (eg ICES)

22
Q

What is ICES data?

A
  • Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences

- Health admin data, collected for purposes besides just health

23
Q

Two possible data sources for ICES?

A
  • Acute care (ICU, ER)

- Outpatient sources (rehab, clinics, etc)

24
Q

What is a nested case control study?

A
  • is a Hybrid study

- Case control study inside a Cohort study

25
Q

Panel study?

A

-

26
Q

Experimental study?

A
  • Intervention in control of investigator

- RCTs and community trials

27
Q

3 basic types of RCTS?

A
  • preventive trials (primary intervention)
  • intervention trials (secondary intervention)
  • therapeutic trials (tertiary, cure vs improve prognosis)
28
Q

Relative Risk formula?

A

RR = (a/a+c) / (b/b+d)

29
Q

Odds ratio formula?

A

OR = ad/bc

30
Q

Forrest plot used in what kind of study?

Size of dot refers to what?

A
  • Meta analysis, or systematic review

- Sample size

31
Q

Publication bias?

A

-People Publishing studies that only show positive results

32
Q

Qualitative study design characteristics?

A
  • hypothesis generating, not testing

- develop concepts that aid in understanding natural phenomenon through description

33
Q

Common tools of qualitative designs?

A
  • Interviews (semi structured, structured, unstructured)
  • gets rich info
  • build rapport
34
Q

How is sampling done in qualitative studies?

A 
Small (les than 50)
Not probabilistic (too expensive to do so), nor representative
35
Q

How do you analyze qualitative data?

A
  • be systematic
  • theoretical constructs outlined
  • detailed methods
36
Q

What is triangulation?

A
  • Looking at multiple sources/views for the same data

- try to come up with one single unifying theory

37
Q

What are Bradford Hill’s Criteria for Causation?

A
  • Strength of association (measured by RR, OR)
  • Correlation coefficient (dose response, does Y increase with X)
  • Consistency
  • Temporality
38
Q

Other Hill criteria (5)?

A
  • Specificity (effect has only one or a few causes)
  • Biological plausibility
  • Coherence (with other knowledge, no competing theories)
  • Experimental evidence -analogy (similar phenomenon)
39
Q

What is confounding?

A

Confounder related to exposure and outcome, but not directly in a causal pathway

40
Q

Famous example of a confounder?

A
  • HRT (estrogen, progesterone)
  • Early studies suggested that people on HRT had lower CVS outcomes
  • Later studies showed the opposite, initial studies were in HCW
41
Q

Example of confounding factors in link between obesity and heart disease?

A

SES, inactivity, built environment

they are outside of causal pathway

42
Q

What is a mediator (as opposed to confounder)? Use example of obesity and heart disease

A
  • Clogging of arteries

- would be in causal pathway (i.e. mediator)

43
Q

Moderating factors?

A
  • Similar to mediating, is in causal pathway
  • interacts, potentiates, effect modifying
  • eg salt intake, fat intake, inactivity
44
Q

Effect modification?

A

Multiplicative effect, not additive

in causal pathway

45
Q

When can you control for confounding?

A

Before the study starts (study phase), and

After the study starts (analysis phase)

46
Q

3 ways in the study phase, to control for confounding?

A
  • randomization
  • restriction
  • matching
47
Q

Controlling for confounding in the analysis phase?

A

Multivariable analysis (multiple confounders)
Linear regression
Logistic regression

SF quizzes (9 decks)

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