Practice Test Geeks(CMAS) Certified Medical Administrative Specialist Practice Test
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Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

7 cards from real CMAS 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

  1. In a clinical study, 'placebo effect' refers to:

    Answer: Improvement in a patient's condition due to their belief in the treatment rather than the treatment itself

    The placebo effect is a measurable improvement in outcomes caused by a patient's belief or expectation that they are receiving effective treatment.

  2. What is 'publication bias' in research?

    Answer: The tendency of journals to publish studies with statistically significant or positive results over null or negative findings

    Publication bias occurs because journals preferentially publish studies with positive or significant results, skewing the available evidence base.

  3. When applying evidence-based practice, the medical administrative specialist should consider:

    Answer: Research evidence, clinical expertise, and patient values and preferences

    Evidence-based practice integrates best research evidence with clinical expertise and individual patient values for optimal decision-making.

  4. Which measure of central tendency is LEAST affected by extreme outlier values?

    Answer: Median

    The median, the middle value in a ranked data set, is resistant to the influence of extreme outliers unlike the mean.

  5. What is a 'confidence interval' in statistics?

    Answer: A range of values that likely contains the true population parameter with a specified level of confidence

    A confidence interval provides a range of plausible values for the true population parameter, typically expressed at the 95% confidence level.

  6. Which of the following is an example of primary research?

    Answer: A clinical trial testing a new blood pressure medication on patients

    Primary research involves the direct collection of original data, such as conducting a new clinical trial, rather than analyzing existing studies.

  7. The term 'sensitivity' of a diagnostic test refers to:

    Answer: The test's ability to correctly identify individuals who DO have the disease

    Sensitivity (true positive rate) measures how well a test identifies those who actually have the disease, minimizing false negatives.