Research Basics
What do we call the specific question a research study is designed to answer?
Research question
What is the name of the visual tool used in QI to map out all the steps in a process?
Process map
If half of your data values fall above a number and half fall below it, what is that number called?
Median
What is the main goal of evidence-based medicine?
To use the best available research to guide patient care
What is the defining difference between qualitative and quantitative research?
Quantitative - uses numbers and statistics to measure or test; qualitative -uses words, experiences, and meaning to explore and understand
Who is responsible for protecting the rights and welfare of research participants at a university or hospital?
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
In a research study, what is the group that does NOT receive the intervention or treatment called?
Control group
What is a fishbone diagram used for in quality improvement?
Visually organizes the potential causes of a problem
What is the difference between a sample and a population in research?
Population - entire group you want to draw conclusions about; sample - subset of that group you actually study
What does "NNH" stand for, and what does it tell you?
Number Needed to Harm — the number of patients who would need to receive a treatment for one additional person to experience harm
What are two methods used to collect qualitative data?
Interviews, focus groups, observation/ethnography, document analysis, open-ended survey questions
What is a "vulnerable population" in research ethics, and can you name two examples?
Groups with diminished ability to protect their own interests or who may be subject to coercion
What is the difference between a prospective and a retrospective study?
Prospective - forward from present; retrospective - backward/data already exist
What does "sustaining improvement" mean in QI?
Keeping the gains from a QI project over time so performance doesn't slip back to baseline
What does it mean when data are described as "skewed"?
The distribution is not symmetric — values are pulled toward one tail
What is publication bias, and why is it a problem in evidence-based medicine?
Tendency for studies with significant results to be published more often than those with null results — it can make treatments appear more effective than they really are
What is the analysis approach called that is conducted by identifying patterns and themes in the transcript?
Thematic analysis
True or False: A QI project never requires IRB review.
False. If findings will be generalized or published, it may require review.
What is the difference between inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria in a study?
Inclusion - who is eligible; exclusion - who is left out
What is the difference between a “change” and an “improvement” in QI?
Change is any modification to the process, while improvement is a change in the desired direction
What is the difference between statistical significance and clinical significance?
Statistical significance - a result is unlikely due to chance; clinical significance - the size of the effect is large enough to matter for patient care
What is the difference between efficacy and effectiveness in clinical research?
Efficacy is how well an intervention works under ideal, controlled conditions (like an RCT); effectiveness is how well it works in real-world clinical practice
What is the point at which no new themes or ideas are emerging from data?
Saturation
What is the term for when a participant decides to stop being in a study after it has already started?
Withdrawal
What is selection bias and how might it affect a study?
People in a study are systematically different than those who aren't
A colleague says their QI project "proved" that the intervention works. What is one reason you might push back on the word "proved"?
QI projects show association and improvement in a local context
What does a p-value less than 0.05 typically indicate?
Statistical significance (aka: the result was unlikely due to chance)
What is the difference between a primary and a secondary source of evidence in EBM?
A primary source is an original research study; a secondary source synthesizes or summarizes primary studies
Researchers undergo ongoing awareness of how their background, assumptions, and identity may influence their research and interpretation when writing this section. What is this called?
Reflexivity (or subjectivity)
What is “assent"?
Assent is the minor's own agreement to participate in research