Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

In a dispatch quality improvement study, 'process measures' refer to:

Answer: Actions taken during the dispatch process itself

Process measures evaluate the specific actions and steps performed during care delivery, such as protocol adherence and time-to-dispatch.

A researcher reports a p-value of 0.03 for a dispatch study finding. This means:

Answer: There is a 3% probability the result occurred by chance if the null hypothesis is true

A p-value of 0.03 means there is a 3% probability of observing the data (or more extreme data) if the null hypothesis were true.

What is the primary purpose of a literature review before conducting dispatch research?

Answer: To identify existing evidence, gaps, and avoid duplicating prior work

A literature review summarizes existing knowledge, reveals research gaps, and ensures the new study builds meaningfully on prior evidence.

Which data collection method would best capture the lived experience of dispatchers handling mass-casualty events?

Answer: In-depth qualitative interviews

Qualitative interviews allow dispatchers to describe their experiences in depth, capturing nuances that structured quantitative tools cannot measure.

What is 'external validity' in dispatch research?

Answer: The degree to which findings can be generalized beyond the study sample

External validity refers to how well study findings can be generalized to other populations, settings, or time periods.

In evidence-based dispatch practice, 'best available evidence' should be integrated with:

Answer: Clinical expertise and patient/caller values

Evidence-based practice combines the best available research evidence with practitioner expertise and the values/circumstances of those served.

A dispatch center collects response time data from 500 incidents. This represents what type of data?

Answer: Ratio data

Response time in seconds/minutes is ratio data because it has a true zero point and meaningful equal intervals between values.