Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) is best described as:

Answer: An evidence-based model code that states can adopt voluntarily

The MAHC is a voluntary, evidence-based model code developed by the CDC that state and local authorities may choose to adopt as their regulatory framework.

When a CPO performs a 'before-and-after' comparison of coliform counts following a new sanitation protocol, this is an example of:

Answer: A pre-post study design

A pre-post (before-and-after) study design measures the same outcome before and after an intervention to assess its effect, without a separate control group.

Evidence from the 2016 CDC Healthy and Safe Swimming Week survey is an example of which type of data?

Answer: Surveillance/epidemiological data

Surveillance data involves systematic, ongoing collection of health information in a defined population, used to monitor trends and identify disease outbreaks.

A CPO wants to determine the 'number needed to treat' (NNT) for a new disinfection byproduct-reduction protocol. This metric tells them:

Answer: How many people need the intervention for one person to benefit

NNT indicates how many individuals must receive an intervention to prevent one additional adverse outcome, helping assess the practical value of a protocol.

Which of the following BEST demonstrates evidence-based decision-making by a pool operator?

Answer: Adjusting pH based on CDC MAHC recommendations supported by peer-reviewed research

Evidence-based decision-making integrates the best available research evidence with professional expertise and facility-specific factors to guide operational choices.

A study reports a 'confidence interval of 95%' for chlorine efficacy results. This means:

Answer: Researchers are 95% confident the true effect falls within the reported range

A 95% confidence interval means that if the study were repeated 100 times, the true population effect would fall within the stated range in 95 of those repetitions.

In a pool research study, 'blinding' is used to:

Answer: Reduce bias by keeping participants or researchers unaware of group assignments

Blinding prevents knowledge of group assignment from influencing outcomes or reporting, reducing measurement and performance bias in research studies.