NPTE Final Frontier – Research 1 Review

Question-and-Answer flashcards covering key concepts from the NPTE Final Frontier Research 1 lecture, including EBP, levels of evidence, study designs, measurement levels, reliability, validity, statistical errors, and diagnostic test properties.

What is the definition of Evidence-Based Practice (EBP)?

The integration of best research evidence with clinical expertise and patient values to guide clinical decision-making.

Which three elements must be integrated for true Evidence-Based Practice?

Best scientific evidence, clinician experience, and patient values/preferences.

List the five basic steps of the EBP process in order.

1) Ask a focused clinical question, 2) Search for relevant evidence, 3) Critically appraise the evidence, 4) Implement considering clinical expertise and patient preferences, 5) Evaluate outcomes of the intervention.

According to the research hierarchy, what is the highest level of evidence?

Meta-analyses and systematic reviews (meta-analysis includes statistical pooling; systematic review synthesizes without statistics).

What research design randomly allocates participants to intervention and control groups to test efficacy and minimize bias?

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT).

Describe a cohort study.

A prospective observational study that follows a group (cohort) with a shared characteristic over time to compare outcomes with a comparison group.

Describe a case-control study.

A retrospective observational study comparing individuals with a condition (cases) to similar individuals without it (controls) to identify factors associated with the outcome.

Describe a cross-sectional study.

An observational design that collects data from a population or subset at one single point in time to provide a ‘snapshot’ of variables or associations.

Describe a longitudinal study.

An observational design involving repeated measurements of the same individuals over extended periods to track changes and determine temporal relationships.

What is documented in a case series or case report?

Clinical details and outcomes of a single patient (case report) or a small group of patients (case series) without control comparison.

If researchers want to test the efficacy of a new balance intervention against a control, which study design is MOST appropriate?

A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Which level of evidence is considered the lowest in the hierarchy?

Case series / case reports.

Collecting and analyzing non-numerical data (e.g., interview transcripts) refers to which type of research?

Qualitative research.

Collecting and analyzing numerical data for statistical analysis refers to which type of research?

Quantitative research.

Define nominal level of measurement and give an example.

Categorical labels with no intrinsic order; example: blood types (A, B, AB, O).

Define ordinal level of measurement and give an example.

Rank-ordered categories without equal intervals; example: Manual Muscle Test grades (0–5).

Define interval level of measurement and give an example.

Numerical scale with equal intervals but no true zero; example: temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit.

Define ratio level of measurement and give an example.

Numerical scale with equal intervals and a true zero; example: weight, height, walking distance.

The six-minute walk test distance is classified as what type of data?

Ratio data (continuous with a true zero).

What is reliability in measurement?

The consistency or repeatability of a measurement when repeated under identical conditions.

Differentiate intra-rater and inter-rater reliability.

Intra-rater: consistency of measurements by the same examiner across trials; Inter-rater: consistency between different examiners measuring the same variable.

What does test-retest reliability assess?

Stability of a measurement when the same test is repeated on the same subjects at two different times.

What is validity in measurement?

The degree to which an instrument measures what it is intended to measure.

Which form of validity compares a new measure to a gold-standard measure taken at the same time?

Concurrent validity (strongest form).

Comparing manual hand-grip testing to a computerized dynamometer establishes which type of validity?

Concurrent validity.

Explain a Type I error in hypothesis testing.

Incorrectly rejecting a true null hypothesis (false positive).

Explain a Type II error in hypothesis testing.

Failing to reject a false null hypothesis (false negative).

Define sensitivity and its clinical utility (SnOut).

Sensitivity is the ability of a test to correctly identify those with the disease (few false negatives); a highly sensitive test, when negative, rules a condition out.

Define specificity and its clinical utility (SpIn).

Specificity is the ability of a test to correctly identify those without the disease (few false positives); a highly specific test, when positive, rules a condition in.

A screening test for rotator-cuff tear has sensitivity 0.93. If the result is negative, what should the therapist conclude?

Because of high sensitivity, a negative result helps rule out a rotator-cuff tear.