CCM Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A care manager reads a study reporting a relative risk (RR) of 0.70 for hospital readmission. This means:
- There is a 70% chance of readmission in the treatment group
- The treatment group has 30% lower risk of readmission than the control group (Correct answer)
- The outcome is 70% more likely in the control group
- The intervention reduces absolute risk by 70%
Correct answer: The treatment group has 30% lower risk of readmission than the control group
An RR of 0.70 indicates the treatment group's risk is 70% of the control group's risk, meaning a 30% relative reduction.
Question 2: Which qualitative research method involves the researcher immersing in a community to understand cultural practices from an insider's perspective?
- Grounded theory
- Phenomenology
- Ethnography (Correct answer)
- Content analysis
Correct answer: Ethnography
Ethnography involves prolonged fieldwork and observation within a social group to understand its culture and behaviors.
Question 3: When evaluating research for EBP, the PICO framework stands for:
- Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome (Correct answer)
- Problem, Indicator, Context, Objective
- Patient, Issue, Clinician, Organization
- Prevalence, Incidence, Causation, Outcome
Correct answer: Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome
PICO structures clinical questions by identifying the Population, Intervention, Comparison condition, and desired Outcome.
Question 4: Cronbach's alpha is a statistical measure used to assess:
- Inter-rater reliability between two observers
- The sensitivity of a diagnostic test
- Internal consistency of a scale or instrument (Correct answer)
- The statistical power of a study
Correct answer: Internal consistency of a scale or instrument
Cronbach's alpha measures how closely related a set of items are as a group, indicating internal consistency reliability.
Question 5: A researcher studying the lived experience of patients with chronic illness would most likely use:
- A randomized controlled trial
- Phenomenological qualitative research (Correct answer)
- A retrospective chart review
- An ecological study
Correct answer: Phenomenological qualitative research
Phenomenology explores the subjective, lived experiences of individuals with a particular condition or phenomenon.
Question 6: Intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis in an RCT means:
- Only participants who completed the protocol are analyzed
- Participants are analyzed in the group to which they were originally assigned, regardless of adherence (Correct answer)
- The analysis focuses only on the primary outcome
- Dropouts are excluded from the final analysis
Correct answer: Participants are analyzed in the group to which they were originally assigned, regardless of adherence
ITT preserves the integrity of randomization by analyzing all participants in their originally assigned groups, including non-adherent participants.
Question 7: In case management research, a prospective cohort study is advantageous over a retrospective design because it:
- Is faster and less expensive to conduct
- Allows direct measurement of exposure before outcomes occur, reducing recall bias (Correct answer)
- Eliminates the need for a control group
- Requires fewer participants
Correct answer: Allows direct measurement of exposure before outcomes occur, reducing recall bias
Prospective designs collect data going forward in time, allowing accurate measurement of exposures and reducing reliance on participants' memories.
CCM Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3
A care manager reads a study reporting a relative risk (RR) of 0.70 for hospital readmission.
This means: