Practice Test Geeks(DPT) Board Certified Doctor of Physical Therapy Practice Test
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Research & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

7 cards from real DPT 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 & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text

  1. When critically appraising a diagnostic accuracy study, which tool is most commonly recommended?

    Answer: QUADAS-2

    QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) is the standard appraisal tool specifically designed for diagnostic test accuracy studies.

  2. A physical therapist applies Bayesian reasoning to clinical decision-making. Which factor is updated using the likelihood ratio?

    Answer: Post-test probability

    Likelihood ratios are applied to pre-test probability (prior probability) to calculate post-test probability of disease.

  3. A researcher conducting a cohort study controls for age, sex, and comorbidities using statistical analysis. This process is called:

    Answer: Multivariable adjustment

    Multivariable (or multivariate) adjustment statistically controls for confounders when randomization is not possible, as in observational studies.

  4. Which level of the evidence hierarchy ranks BELOW randomized controlled trials but ABOVE case series?

    Answer: Cohort studies

    Cohort and other well-designed observational studies rank below RCTs but above case series and expert opinion in the evidence hierarchy.

  5. A physical therapist wants to measure whether a lumbar stabilization program reduces disability using a validated PRO instrument. Which outcome measure is most appropriate?

    Answer: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)

    The Oswestry Disability Index is a validated patient-reported outcome measure specifically designed to quantify disability due to low back pain.

  6. A 95% confidence interval for a mean difference between groups is reported as (2.1 to 8.7). Which interpretation is correct?

    Answer: If the study were repeated 100 times, approximately 95 of the resulting CIs would contain the true parameter

    A 95% CI means that if the study were replicated many times, 95% of the resulting confidence intervals would capture the true population parameter.

  7. A PT wants to implement a clinical guideline but finds that the recommendation is based on expert consensus with no supporting RCTs. According to GRADE, this evidence would be rated as:

    Answer: Very low quality

    Expert consensus opinion without empirical research support is classified as Very Low quality evidence under the GRADE framework.