CED Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: In a dispatch quality improvement study, 'process measures' refer to:
- Final patient survival rates
- Actions taken during the dispatch process itself (Correct answer)
- Equipment costs associated with dispatch
- Dispatcher job satisfaction scores
Correct 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.
Question 2: A researcher reports a p-value of 0.03 for a dispatch study finding. This means:
- There is a 3% chance the alternative hypothesis is true
- There is a 3% probability the result occurred by chance if the null hypothesis is true (Correct answer)
- The study has a 97% accuracy rate
- The confidence interval is 97%
Correct 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.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a literature review before conducting dispatch research?
- To fulfill IRB requirements automatically
- To identify existing evidence, gaps, and avoid duplicating prior work (Correct answer)
- To satisfy grant funding requirements
- To determine dispatcher training hours needed
Correct 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.
Question 4: Which data collection method would best capture the lived experience of dispatchers handling mass-casualty events?
- Retrospective chart review
- Randomized survey with Likert scales
- In-depth qualitative interviews (Correct answer)
- Analysis of CAD timestamp data
Correct answer: In-depth qualitative interviews
Qualitative interviews allow dispatchers to describe their experiences in depth, capturing nuances that structured quantitative tools cannot measure.
Question 5: What is 'external validity' in dispatch research?
- Whether the study measures what it intends to measure
- The degree to which findings can be generalized beyond the study sample (Correct answer)
- Whether the statistical analysis was performed correctly
- The credibility of the research team
Correct 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.
Question 6: In evidence-based dispatch practice, 'best available evidence' should be integrated with:
- Manufacturer guidelines only
- Clinical expertise and patient/caller values (Correct answer)
- The most recent study regardless of quality
- Local legal requirements exclusively
Correct 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.
Question 7: A dispatch center collects response time data from 500 incidents. This represents what type of data?
- Nominal data
- Ordinal data
- Ratio data (Correct answer)
- Categorical data
Correct answer: Ratio data
Response time in seconds/minutes is ratio data because it has a true zero point and meaningful equal intervals between values.
CED Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice 3
In a dispatch quality improvement study, 'process measures' refer to: