Research Methods and Evidence Flashcards

What are the three components of evidence-based practice?

Answer: Best available evidence, clinical expertise, and client values

Evidence-based practice integrates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences.

Which level of evidence is generally considered the strongest?

Answer: Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials

Systematic reviews and meta-analyses synthesize findings from multiple high-quality studies, providing the most reliable evidence.

What is a randomized controlled trial (RCT)?

Answer: A study where participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups

RCTs randomly assign participants to groups, minimizing bias and allowing researchers to determine cause-and-effect relationships.

Why is critical appraisal of research important?

Answer: To evaluate the quality, validity, and applicability of study findings

Critical appraisal helps determine whether research findings are trustworthy and relevant to specific practice situations.

What does the PICO framework help formulate?

Answer: A focused clinical question for literature searching

PICO (Patient/Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) structures clinical questions to facilitate effective literature searches.

How should conflicting evidence be handled in practice decisions?

Answer: Weigh the quality of studies and consider the totality of evidence

When evidence conflicts, practitioners should evaluate study quality, consider all available evidence, and apply clinical judgment.