Research Methods & Evidence-Based Practice Flashcards
7 cards from real CED 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
In emergency dispatch research, what does a 'cohort study' involve?
Answer: Following a group of subjects over time to observe outcomes
A cohort study follows a defined group prospectively over time to observe outcomes related to exposures or interventions.
Which statistical measure indicates how much individual data points deviate from the mean in dispatch response time analysis?
Answer: Standard deviation
Standard deviation quantifies the spread of data points around the mean, indicating variability in response times.
What is 'informed consent' in the context of research involving emergency dispatchers?
Answer: Participants voluntarily agreeing after being fully informed of risks and benefits
Informed consent requires participants to voluntarily agree to participate after receiving complete information about the study.
A dispatch center wants to evaluate whether a new CPR instruction script improves caller compliance. Which study design is most rigorous?
Answer: Randomized controlled trial
A randomized controlled trial minimizes bias by randomly allocating participants to treatment or control groups, providing the strongest causal evidence.
What is 'selection bias' in emergency dispatch research?
Answer: Systematic differences between study groups due to non-random selection
Selection bias occurs when the method of selecting participants creates systematic differences that distort study results.
Which level of evidence is considered LOWEST on the evidence hierarchy?
Answer: Expert opinion or anecdotal evidence
Expert opinion and anecdotal evidence sit at the bottom of the evidence hierarchy because they lack systematic methodology and are most prone to bias.
What does 'inter-rater reliability' measure in dispatch protocol research?
Answer: Agreement between two or more independent raters scoring the same data
Inter-rater reliability assesses the degree to which different raters produce consistent results when evaluating the same subject or data.