DPT Research & Evidence-Based Practice 4

Question 1

A PT searches PubMed using the PICO format. What does the 'C' in PICO represent?

Accepted Answer

Comparison intervention

Answer

In the PICO framework, C stands for Comparison, which identifies the alternative intervention or control condition against which the intervention is compared.

Question 2

Which statistic is most appropriate to report when describing the central tendency of a skewed dataset (e.g., length of hospital stay)?

Accepted Answer

Median

Answer

The median is preferred over the mean for skewed distributions because extreme outliers do not distort it.

Question 3

An investigator finds a correlation of r = 0.85 between hip abductor strength and balance scores. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong positive association between the two variables

Answer

Correlation describes the strength and direction of association; it does not establish causation between variables.

Question 4

Which study design is most efficient for investigating rare adverse events following a physical therapy intervention?

Accepted Answer

Case-control study

Answer

Case-control studies work backward from outcome to exposure, making them efficient for rare outcomes because cases are selected directly.

Question 5

A researcher uses an ITT (intention-to-treat) analysis. What is the primary advantage of this approach?

Accepted Answer

It preserves the benefits of randomization and reflects real-world effectiveness

Answer

ITT analysis includes all randomized participants regardless of adherence, preserving allocation balance and providing an unbiased effectiveness estimate.

(DPT) Board Certified Doctor of Physical Therapy Practice Test

(DPT) Board Certified Doctor of Physical Therapy Practice Test

DPT Research & Evidence-Based Practice 4