TPACOS - Section A

Question 1

Define Precision.

Answer 1

How close repeated values are to one another. Measured by Standard Error (s.d./√n)

Question 2

Define Accuracy.

Answer 2

Distance of a recorded value from the correct figure.

Question 3

Define Sensitivity.

Answer 3

Smallest change measurable with confidence.

Question 4

What is Normal Distribution?

Answer 4

Fully defined by two things; population mean and standard deviation.

Visualised by a symmetrical bell shaped curve.

Question 5

Where can 95% of a population be found on a Normal Distribution?

Answer 5

95% of a sample lie within 1.96 standard deviations of the mean value of a set of data.

Question 6

Define Population.

Answer 6

The potentially infinite group on which measurements could be made, though it is inconceivably rare to measure a whole population.

Question 7

Define Sample.

Answer 7

A sub-set of the population on which measurements are actually made (n) which are often extrapolated to give estimations of the population. (The greater the n-value, the greater the degree of accuracy when extrapolating.)

Question 8

Define Pseudoscience.

Answer 8

A claim or belief presented as scientific, but does not adhere to the scientific method. Characterised by contradictory/unprovable claims and a lack of openness to evaluation.

Question 9

Give one example of how Pseudosciences can interfere with the healthcare profession.

Answer 9

Patients may choose to refuse proper treatment in favour of other “more natural”/alternative remedies that have no real therapeutic effect.

Question 10

What are the steps of an Audit Cycle?

Answer 10

Selection of priority and objectives > Review of literature for criteria > Set standards > Design Audit > Collect Data > Analysis > Feedback findings > Action Plan > Review standards > Re-Audit

Question 11

What is the aim of an Audit?

Answer 11

Aims to improve service in a specific lab/department/patient group by comparing to the best practice standard.

Question 12

Why are measurement scales important?

Answer 12

Assigning comparative labels to things helps to explain their relationship.

Question 13

What are the four types of measurement scale?

Answer 13

Nominal. Ordinal. Interval. Ration.

Question 14

What is the Nominal Scale?

Answer 14

Simple labeling to assign categories, but with no implicit order. (eg. Yes/No)

Question 15

What is the Ordinal Scale?

Answer 15

Measurement that can be ranked, but equal gaps are not implied. Subjective. (eg Likert Scales, Pain scale)

Question 16

What is the Interval Scale?

Answer 16

Intervals between units are equal (eg. C) however there is no absolute reference point (0C is arbitrary.)

Question 17

What is the Ratio Scale?

Answer 17

An interval scale that DOES have an absolute reference point. (Kelvin Scale. 0K is absolute Zero.)

Question 18

How could “The Provisional Nature of Science” be explained?

Answer 18

Science could be considered as the best current estimation, open to being disproved in order to progress. It is a SYSTEM OF HYPOTHESES that work for as long as they are not disproved by testing.

Question 19

What is the Tukey Test?

Answer 19

Tukey’s test compares the means of every treatment to the means of every other treatment, applying simultaneously to the set of all pairwise comparisons and identifies any difference between two means that is greater than the expected standard error.

Question 20

What is the Dunnett Test?

Answer 20

Dunnett’s test is a multiple comparison procedure to compare each of a number of treatments with a single control.

Question 21

How can Tukey/Dunnett’s tests be used in healthcare?

Answer 21

Can be used to compare treatments between several groups either in a real world or laboratory setting in order to determine the best possible treatment options to go forward with.

Question 22

What is “The Scientific Method?”

Answer 22

An evidence based approach to determining how the world works where observations are used to propose mechanisms.

Question 23

What are the Five Steps involved in the Scientific Method?

Answer 23

Theory, Hypothesis, Experiment, Analysis, Refinement.

Question 24

Explain the Theory stage of the Sci Meth.

Answer 24

Generated to explain past observations.

Question 25

Explain the Hypothesis stage of the Sci Meth.

Answer 25

Generated to predict how the system will behave.

Question 26

Explain the Analysis and Refinement stages of the Sci Meth.

Answer 26

Analysing whether the system behaved as expected and Refining the original theory accordingly.

Question 27

Give a possible definition of Scientific Literature.

Answer 27

The objective reporting of original work in natural and social sciences.

Question 28

What is Peer Review?

Answer 28

A form of self-regulation by (up to three) qualified members within the relevant field of the paper in question employed to maintain standards of quality, performance and credibility.