Research Basics
What is the term for a study that collects data at a single point in time?
What does the acronym “PDSA” stand for?
Plan-Do-Study-Act
What is the term for the average of a set of numbers?
Mean
What is the main goal of evidence-based medicine?
To use the best available research to guide patient care
What kind of response scale asks respondents to rate agreement from “Strongly Disagree” to “Strongly Agree”?
Likert scale
What does “IRB” stand for in research ethics?
Institutional Review Board
What is the part of a research paper that summarizes the research question, methods, results, and conclusions?
What kind of chart is commonly used to monitor QI data over time?
Run chart
What kind of variable is “blood pressure” — categorical or continuous?
Continuous
What type of study provides the highest level of evidence?
A systematic review or meta-analysis of RCTs
What is a “leading question” in survey research?
A question that suggests a certain answer or pushes the respondent toward a particular response
What is the primary purpose of an IRB?
To protect the rights and welfare of human and animal research participants
If you want to test whether a new intervention works better than the current standard, what type of study should you design?
Randomized controlled trial
In healthcare, Six Sigma is often used to reduce what?
Medical errors and process defects
What statistical test is commonly used to compare means between two groups?
t-test
What does the term “number needed to treat” mean in evidence-based medicine?
The number of patients who need to receive a treatment for one person to benefit
What is one method to improve response rates for a MyChart survey?
Sending reminders, including a pre-paid return envelope, or offering an incentive
True or False: All studies involving human subjects at WVU must undergo either full board review or expedited review.
False. They may undergo full board, flex, or expedited review, or they may be exempt from review.
You want to explore residents’ attitudes toward street medicine. What type of data collection method might you use?
Qualitative interview or focus group
During a QI project on hypertension control, the team tries a new EHR alert. What part of the PDSA cycle is this?
The "Do" phase
You collect data on gender (male/female/nonbinary). What type of data is this?
Nominal or categorical
What is external validity in a research study?
Whether the study population is similar to your patient population
Why should you pilot test a survey before full distribution?
To identify typos, confusion questions, and technical issues
What two factors determine the submission category (e.g., exempt, expedited, full board, etc.) for a research protocol being submitted to the IRB?
Level of risk to participants and funding status
Two key criteria used to evaluate the quality of a measurement tool are validity and reliability. What are validity and reliability?
Validity - measures what it's supposed to
Reliability - same results consistently
After a QI project shows improvement, what is one strategy to help sustain those changes over time?
Accepted: integrate the change into clinic workflows or policies, assign ongoing responsibility to a team member, use reminders or checklists, provide regular feedback to staff, monitor performance over time
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 sensitivity and specificity?
Sensitivity measures true positives; specificity measures true negatives.
What does it mean if a survey instrument is “validated”?
It has been tested and shown to measure the right concept accurately and consistently
What is “informed consent”?
The process of providing participants with information about the study so they can voluntarily decide whether to participate