Utilizing Existing Databases

Question 1

What is secondary data analysis?

Answer 1

It is the use of existing data to investigate research questions other than the main ones for which the data was originally gathered for.

Question 2

What are ancillary studies?

Answer 2

Add one or more measurements to a study, often in a subset of the participants, to answer a separate research question.

Question 3

What is a systematic review?

Answer 3

Combines the results of multiple previous studies of a given research question, often including calculation of a summary estimate of effect that has greater precision than the individual studies.

Question 4

What are the advantages of using existing data?

Answer 4

Tests that use existing data is speedy and economic.

Question 5

What are the disadvantages of using existing data?

Answer 5

The selection of the population to study, which data to collect, the quality of the data gathered, and how variables were measured and recorded are all predetermined. At best, using prexisting data can give indications for future research.

Question 6

Secondary data analysis can be useful for what three reasons?

Answer 6

1. To evaluate patterns of utilization and clinical outcomes of medical treatments
2. To better understand efficacy and effectiveness
3. To evaluate the utilization of accepted therapies

Question 7

What is aggregate data?

Answer 7

Means that information is available only for groups of participants.

Question 8

What do ecologic studies use as their data?

Answer 8

Aggregate data

Question 9

What are the two disadvantages of aggregate data?

Answer 9

1. Lack of control for confounding variables (groups tend to differ from individuals
2. Associations observed in the aggregate do not necessarily hold for the individual