Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real AME practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
Which study design is most appropriate for investigating the prevalence of color vision deficiency among active US commercial pilots?
Answer: Cross-sectional survey
Cross-sectional surveys measure disease prevalence at a single point in time, making them ideal for determining how common a condition is in a population.
An aeromedical researcher wants to determine whether sleep apnea preceded aviation incidents in accident cases. Which design is most efficient when the outcome is rare?
Answer: Case-control study
Case-control studies are most efficient for rare outcomes because they start with cases (those with the outcome) and work backward to identify exposures.
In evidence-based aeromedical practice, what does the term 'external validity' refer to?
Answer: Whether study findings can be generalized to the broader aviation population
External validity (generalizability) refers to how well study results apply to populations and settings beyond the original study.
A researcher reports an incidence rate of cardiac events of 2 per 10,000 flight hours. This is an example of which epidemiological measure?
Answer: Incidence density rate
Incidence density (rate) measures new events per unit of person-time (here, flight hours), not per fixed population count.
When an AME applies evidence-based practice, which step follows the formulation of a clinical question (PICO)?
Answer: Searching the literature for relevant evidence
The EBP process: formulate PICO question → search literature → critically appraise → apply to patient → evaluate outcome.
What does a funnel plot asymmetry in a meta-analysis of aeromedical studies most likely indicate?
Answer: Publication bias
Asymmetry in a funnel plot suggests publication bias, meaning smaller studies with negative results may not have been published.
In a cohort study following pilots over 10 years, which measure quantifies the association between hypertension and incapacitation events?
Answer: Relative risk (risk ratio)
Relative risk (risk ratio) is the appropriate measure of association for cohort studies because incidence in exposed versus unexposed groups can be directly calculated.