Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards

What is a 'type I error' in research?

Answer: Detecting a significant effect that does not actually exist (false positive)

A Type I error (alpha error) is a false positive — concluding that a significant effect exists when it does not.

An OEC instructor reviews two studies on tourniquet effectiveness: Study A has n=12, Study B has n=240. Which study likely has greater statistical power and why?

Answer: Study B, because larger samples better detect true effects

Statistical power increases with sample size; a larger sample reduces sampling error and improves the ability to detect a true effect.

Which of the following is an example of an 'observational' study design?

Answer: Case-control study comparing prior exposure in injured vs. non-injured skiers

Case-control studies are observational: researchers observe existing outcomes and look back at prior exposures without manipulating any variable.

What does 'number needed to treat' (NNT) represent in clinical research?

Answer: The average number of patients who must receive a treatment for one additional patient to benefit

NNT indicates how many patients need to receive the intervention for one patient to benefit compared to the control condition.

In OEC-related research, why is it important to distinguish between 'statistical significance' and 'clinical significance'?

Answer: A statistically significant result may represent too small a difference to matter in real patient care

A result can be statistically significant (unlikely due to chance) yet too small in magnitude to improve patient care in a clinically meaningful way.

What is 'informed consent' in the context of human subjects research?

Answer: The process by which participants voluntarily agree to participate after being fully informed of risks and benefits

Informed consent requires that participants be fully informed of study procedures, risks, and benefits before voluntarily agreeing to participate.

A meta-analysis of spinal immobilization studies produces a forest plot. What does a diamond at the bottom of the plot represent?

Answer: The pooled overall effect estimate across all included studies

In a forest plot, the diamond represents the pooled effect size and its confidence interval across all studies combined in the meta-analysis.