Practice Exam
Energy expenditure was assessed with a gas exchange system (OxyconTM Mobile) during one out of five standardized ADL before and after a 2-week intervention period in which ECTs were taught. These ECTs comprised a good breathing technique, an ergonomic way of performing the activity, and the use of assistive devices.
What is the scale of measurement for the Oxycon (TM) Mobile System for energy expenditure reported as kilojoule per minute (kJ/min)? [Kilojoules and calories are the same thing. Example: 25 calories = 104.6 kJ]
Ratio
Use this PICO question to answer the question that follows:
In older adults with balance disorders, are commercial systems such as Wii Fit effective at improving balance and reducing falls?
Show how you would use nesting to combine like terms (may also include Boolean operator with nesting)
(((older AND adults) OR (geriatric))
What level of evidence: Cohort, RCT, pilot, feasibility, ecological, control manipulation, 2 or more groups NOT randomly assigned
Level 2
Purpose is to test theories, structured, formal, objective, recruited with specific criteria, often randomly selected & assigned to study groups, Limited contact with subjects, no personal involvement, statistical evidence is used to prove or disprove hypotheses
Quantitative
What is evidence-based practice?
Combination of practitioner expertise, best evidence, and client goals, values, & circumstances
What is the scale of measurement (data type) for the COPM?
Ordinal
5 steps an occupational therapist would complete for evidence-based practice.
Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply, Assess
What level of evidence: Expert opinion without explicit critical appraisal, no formal study - just expert experience or theories
Level 5
Purpose is to describe cultures, views, etc., less structured, flexible, smaller number of subjects, no randomization or study groups, full contact with subjects for extended time, intense contact, data is descriptive
Qualitative
Used to describe, organize, and summarize data. Includes frequencies, percentages, measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode) and descriptions of relative position (range, standard deviation)
Descriptive statistics
Researchers had 10 participants and wanted to calculate central tendency for the participant data on the COPM. What measure should they use?
Median
In the results section of an article, the authors reported, “the statistical results comparing the difference among interventions on improving hand strength was F (3, 38) = 10.58, p = .02”. What inferential statistical analysis was performed here? Look up the statistical abbreviation, which will indicate the analysis. Explain your reasoning. The statistics decision tree will help you determine the reason for this inferential statistical analysis.
An ANOVA because there is an F value. Friedman ANOVA because using the tree, I was able to decide that it was a difference between means and it was within group and then there are 4 groups which leads it to be a friedman ANOVA.
Level 1
Manipulation of at least one independent variable, control of a variety of other phenomena in the methodology, random selection and assignment of subjects, design is used to determine cause and effect relationships.
What type of experiment is this?
True experimental designs
Used to make inferences about the population from the sample findings. Includes t tests, f tests, and tests for r. Always reports a p-value
Inferential Statistics
Participants were recruited in a study from a peer support group. The occupational and physical therapists running the peer support group sent names of group members to a practitioner not involved in the groups or the study. This practitioner then made contact with the participants for participation in the study.
What ethical standard of conduct is at risk of violation?
Confidentiality
Prolonged engagement, field journal, subjects judge as credible, triangulation, establish competence of researcher
What level of evidence: nonrandomized, retrospective case-control, one-group, cohort, cross-sectional, manipulation, pre and post test design
Level 3
Contains an independent variable that is manipulated in order to look for an effect on a dependent variable; however, either use of a control group or randomization is lacking
What type of experimental study?
Quasi-Experimental designs
Research is used to:
Test hypotheses, generate new information, describe lived experiences, assert connections between study concepts, suggest cause-and effect relationships
Participants were recruited in a study from a peer support group. The occupational and physical therapists running the peer support group sent names of group members to a practitioner not involved in the groups or the study. This practitioner then made contact with the participants for participation in the study.
While this method possibly violated an ethical standard of conduct, what was the first step researchers should take to minimize ethical risk?
Received approval from the research ethics board
Dependability
Detailed description of methods, two or more researchers independently judge the data, triangulation, co-recode procedure, peer examination/external audit
What level of evidence: Descriptive studies, single object, case studies, normative studies, surveys, describes what happened to a small group or single patient - helpful for rare conditions but not generalizable
Level 4
Retrospective studies in which the dependent variable has already occurred, used to describe or characterize phenomena, examine relationships among variables, determine reliability and validity of evaluations, tests, or equipment
Non-experimental designs
Why is evidence-based practice important?
To ensure quality care, to close the gap between evidence and practice, to hep resolve ethical dilemmas, to increase efficiency and effectiveness, to address rapid rate of medical advances, to fulfill ethical responsibilities of your chosen profession, to meet the demands of clients, policy makers, administration, and third party payors