Healthcare Research Sanity Check

What is the difference between a systematic review and a narrative review?

A systematic review uses a structured methodology to summarize and analyze research findings, whereas a narrative review provides a more subjective overview of a topic without formal inclusion criteria.

What is the purpose of randomization in experimental studies?

Randomization minimizes bias by equally distributing unknown factors across treatment groups, allowing for a more accurate assessment of the intervention's effect.

What is the difference between attributive and associational hypotheses?

Attributive hypotheses suggest that a variable is responsible for an outcome, while associational hypotheses indicate a relationship between variables without implying causation.

What is the difference between external and internal validity?

External validity refers to the generalizability of study results to other settings or populations, while internal validity ensures that the study accurately measures the relationship between variables without confounding.

What are the four ethical principles in healthcare research?

The four ethical principles are justice (fairness), beneficence (doing good), autonomy (respect for individuals' rights), and nonmaleficence (avoiding harm).

What is the difference between reliability and validity?

Reliability refers to the consistency of a measure across time or items, while validity assesses whether the measure accurately reflects the concept it's intended to evaluate.

What is confidentiality in healthcare research?

Confidentiality involves protecting the privacy of individual participants' data to prevent unauthorized access and maintain trust in the research process.

What is the purpose of an Institutional Review Board (IRB)?

An IRB reviews research proposals to ensure ethical standards are met and that participant rights and welfare are adequately protected.

What are the levels of research evidence?

The levels of research evidence rank studies based on their methodological rigor, ranging from expert opinion to randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews.

What is the difference between randomized controlled trials (RCT) and cohort studies?

RCTs randomly assign participants to intervention or control groups, while cohort studies observe outcomes in groups defined by exposure to a treatment or risk factor.

What is effect size?

Effect size quantifies the strength of a relationship or the magnitude of an intervention's impact, allowing for comparisons across studies.

What is Type I error?

Type I error occurs when a true null hypothesis is incorrectly rejected, indicating a false positive result.

What is Type II error?

Type II error occurs when a false null hypothesis is not rejected, indicating a false negative result.

What are the types of significance in research?

Statistical significance indicates whether findings are likely due to chance, while clinical significance assesses the practical importance of the results.

What are the levels of measurement?

The levels of measurement include nominal, ordinal, interval, and ratio, each providing different types of data categorizations and analysis options.

What types of bias and confounding can affect research results?

Types of bias include selection bias, measurement bias, and response bias, while confounding occurs when an outside factor distorts the true relationship between variables.

What is the difference between causality and correlation?

Causality indicates that one variable directly affects another, while correlation reflects a statistical relationship without implying direct influence.

What are the components of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)?

The components of EBP include clinical expertise, patient values, and the best available research evidence to guide healthcare decisions.

What are barriers to Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)?

Barriers to EBP may include lack of access to research, insufficient training in EBP methodologies, and organizational constraints.

What is the difference between independent and dependent variables?

The independent variable is manipulated or varied by the researcher, while the dependent variable is the outcome measured in response to the independent variable.