Be familiar with the purpose of each of the major sections of a jounral article.

IMRD Format

Title and Abstract - If true, do I care?: Purpose, Research Design, Main Results, and Conclusions

Introduction: Complements the dicussion section

Methods** The most important section: Are they similar to my own patient? Agree with the definitions?

Results: summary of findings

Discussion: what are the limitations, statistical conclusions, biases

References And Acknowledgment: look for the sponsorship - for profit, appears to be more in favor

Match the clinical task of a "well-built" EBM question (e.g. therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.) with the most appropriate research dsign: Therapy

Therapy: Randomized Controlled Trial

Correctly identify the research design of a study.

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Clinical Trial

Advantages

• Can produce the strongest evidence for cause/effect

• Can control for both measured and unmeasured variables

• Can be the only possible design for some research quesitons

•Can sometimes produce a faster and cheaper answer to the research question than observational studies

Disadvantages

•Often costly in time and money

•Many research questions are not suitable for intervention (e.g. ethical barriers, rare outcomes, etc.)

•Standardized interventions may be different from common practice (low E.V.)

•Tends to restrict the scope and narrow the study question

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Cohort Trial

Advantages

•Establishes sequences of events (A->B)

•Multiple predictors & outcomes

• Number of outcomes grows over time

• Yields incidence, relative risk, excess risk

•If prospective, more control over selection of subjects and measurements

•If restrospecive, less expensive and shorter duration

Disadvantages

•Often requires large sample sizes

• Not feasible for rare outcomes

•If prospective, more expensive and longer duration

•If retrospective, less control over selection of subjects and measurements

•Can account for only measured (not unknown and unmeasured variables).

•Statistical analysis may be much more complex than that of clinical trials.

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Cross-Sectional Trial

Advantages

• Relatively short duration

•May study several outcomes

•A good first step for a cohort study

•Yields prevalence information for multiple predictors & outcomes

Disadvantages

•Does not establish seq. of events

•Not feasible for rare predictors or rare outcomes

•Does not yield incidence or relative risk

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Case-Control Trial

Advantages

•Useful for studying rare conditions

•Short duration

•Relatively inexpensive

•Relatively small sample size

•Yields odds ratios (resembles relative rsiks for uncommon outcomes)

Disadvantages

•Bias and confounding from sampling two populations

•Limited to one outcome variable

•Does not establish sequence of events

•Potential bias in measuring predictors

•Does not yield prevalence, incidence or excess risk information

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Case Reports

Advantages

•Easy to accomplish

•Least expensive

•Short duration

•Often the basis for further future research

Disadvantages

•Most prone to bias

•Does not establish sequence of events

•Potential bias in measuring predictors

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Nested Case-Control

Advantages: same as a retrospective cohort design, only much more efficient

Disadvantages: Suitable cohort and specimens may not be available

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Nested Case-Cohort

Advantages: Can use a single control group for multiple case-control studies

Disadvantages: Suitable cohort and specimens may not be avaialble

Know the advantages and disadvantages of common research designs: Case-Crossover

Advantages

• Cases serve as their own controls, reducing random error and confounding

Disadvantages

• Suitable cohort and specimens may not be avilable
  

Match the clinical task of a "well-built" EBM question (e.g. therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.) with the most appropriate research dsign: Diagnosis

Diagnosis: Cross-sectional survey

Match the clinical task of a "well-built" EBM question (e.g. therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.) with the most appropriate research dsign: Screening

Screening: Cross-sectional survey

Match the clinical task of a "well-built" EBM question (e.g. therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.) with the most appropriate research dsign: Prognosis

Prognosis: Cohort study

Match the clinical task of a "well-built" EBM question (e.g. therapy, diagnosis, prognosis, etc.) with the most appropriate research dsign: Causation

Causation: Cohort study, Case-controlled study