What is the definition of diagnosis in research?
Identifying the nature of a disease/condition by comparing diagnostic tests to the “gold standard.”
What is the focus of diagnostic research?
Accuracy and uncovering causes.
What does etiology study?
The causes or origins of disease and links between risk factors and disease.
What is prevalence?
The number of existing cases of a disease in a population at a point or over a period.
How is prevalence used in epidemiology?
To measure disease burden, evaluate diagnostics, allocate resources, and justify funding.
What is incidence?
The number of new cases of a disease in a population over time.
What does efficacy measure?
Whether an intervention works under ideal conditions.
What is prognosis?
Prediction of the likely outcomes of a condition.
What is incidence used for?
Risk assessment, trend tracking, and evaluating public health measures.
What factors influence prognosis?
Age, genetics, and health history.
How is prognosis used in healthcare?
For treatment planning, risk management, and predicting morbidity and mortality.
What type of study is often used to measure efficacy?
Randomized controlled trials (RCTs).
What is blinding in research?
A method to reduce bias by keeping study participants and/or researchers unaware of certain details.
What does a pre-test/post-test design measure?
Changes due to an intervention by comparing baseline data before and after treatment.
What is a quasi-experimental design?
A study without randomization, often using pre-test/post-test, with less control over bias.
What is single-blind vs. double-blind?
Single-blind: one party is unaware;
double-blind: both participants and researchers are unaware.
What is a major limitation of case-control studies?
Recall bias.
What is a true experimental design?
A randomized controlled trial (RCT) with random sampling, providing strong cause-effect evidence.
What is the main purpose of a case-control study?
To compare individuals with a disease (cases) to those without (controls) to identify etiology.
What type of study is a case-control study?
Retrospective.
What do cohort studies investigate?
Etiology and prognosis.
: How does a prospective cohort study work?
Follows exposed and unexposed groups into the future to track outcomes.
Why are RCTs considered high validity?
Because they use randomization and blinding to reduce bias.
How does a retrospective cohort study work?
Uses existing records to compare past exposures.
