Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real CCM practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice flashcards as text
A care manager wants to apply research findings to her patient population. Which concept most directly addresses whether the study findings are applicable to her patients?
Answer: External validity (generalizability)
External validity refers to the extent to which research findings can be applied to populations, settings, or conditions beyond the original study.
In health services research, the term 'confounding variable' refers to:
Answer: An extraneous variable that correlates with both the exposure and the outcome
A confounder distorts the apparent relationship between exposure and outcome by being associated with both, leading to spurious conclusions.
A care manager applies the Number Needed to Treat (NNT) when selecting interventions. An NNT of 5 means:
Answer: Five patients must receive the treatment to prevent one additional negative outcome
NNT indicates how many patients must be treated to achieve one additional beneficial outcome compared to the control.
Which type of measurement bias occurs when participants alter their behavior because they know they are being observed?
Answer: Hawthorne effect
The Hawthorne effect describes behavior change that occurs simply because participants are aware of being observed in a study.
Meta-analysis synthesizes findings from multiple studies primarily by:
Answer: Calculating a weighted average effect size across studies
Meta-analysis statistically combines effect sizes from multiple studies, weighting by sample size or precision, to produce an overall estimate.
A care manager evaluating clinical guidelines should give highest priority to guidelines that are:
Answer: Based on systematic reviews and graded recommendations with transparent methods
High-quality guidelines are grounded in systematic evidence reviews, use explicit grading systems, and disclose the methods used to develop recommendations.
In a research context, triangulation refers to:
Answer: Applying multiple data sources, methods, or investigators to validate findings
Triangulation strengthens research credibility by cross-validating findings using different methods, data sources, or analysts.