Lecture 3

These flashcards cover key concepts related to research methods in medicine and healthcare as discussed in the lecture.

Evidence Based Medicine

An approach where medical decisions are based on scientific evidence gathered from a hierarchy of studies.

Hierarchy of Evidence Pyramid

A visual framework ranking types of studies based on their strength of evidence, with randomized controlled trials at the top.

Animal Models

Research methods involving non-human animals to study biological and health outcomes.

In Vivo

Research conducted within a living organism.

Ex Vivo

Research involving tissues or organs removed from a living organism.

In Vitro

Research conducted in a controlled environment outside of a living organism, such as a laboratory dish.

Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT)

The gold standard for clinical studies where participants are randomly assigned to receive either the intervention or a placebo.

Cohort Studies

A type of observational study that follows a group of people over time to assess health outcomes.

Correlation does not equal causation

A principle stating that association between two variables does not imply that one causes the other.

Xenograft

A transplant of tissue or organ from one species to another, commonly used in organ transplant research.

Reductionist Approach

An analytical method that looks at individual components in isolation rather than in a complete system.

GWAS

Genome Wide Association Study, a method used to scan genomes to find genetic variants associated with diseases.

Healthy User Bias

The phenomenon in observational studies where those who use supplements or healthy interventions often have healthier lifestyles overall.

Systematic Review

A research method that collects and analyzes multiple studies on the same question to summarize existing evidence.

Placebo Controlled Study

A clinical trial segment where a group of participants receives a placebo to compare its effects against an experimental treatment.

Confounding Factors

Variables other than the independent variable that can affect the results of a study, potentially leading to incorrect conclusions.