DPT Research & Evidence-Based Practice 3

Question 1

A researcher reports sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 60% for a clinical test. Which statement is correct?

Accepted Answer

The test is better at ruling out disease than ruling it in

Answer

High sensitivity (90%) means the test rarely misses true positives, making it effective for ruling out disease (SnOUT mnemonic).

Question 2

Which type of reliability coefficient is most appropriate for evaluating agreement between two therapists rating the same ordinal outcome?

Accepted Answer

Cohen's kappa

Answer

Cohen's kappa is the preferred statistic for inter-rater reliability when data are categorical or ordinal.

Question 3

A PT reviews a clinical prediction rule (CPR) that has been validated but not yet impact-analyzed. At which phase of CPR development is this rule?

Accepted Answer

Validation phase

Answer

A CPR that has been validated but not yet tested for its impact on clinical decision-making and outcomes remains in the validation phase.

Question 4

A study reports a Number Needed to Treat (NNT) of 5 for a new exercise protocol. What does this mean?

Accepted Answer

5 patients must be treated for 1 additional patient to benefit

Answer

NNT represents the number of patients who must receive a treatment for one additional patient to benefit compared to the control condition.

Question 5

Which bias occurs when participants who drop out of a study differ systematically from those who complete it?

Accepted Answer

Attrition bias

Answer

Attrition bias occurs when the characteristics of dropouts differ from completers, potentially distorting study results.

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