Epidemiology Final Exam| 50 questions| with complete solutions

Structure of Randomized Trial Study Design correct answer: -Begin with a defined population that is randomized to receive new treatment or current treatment. Follow subjects to see how many improved in the new treatment group compared to how many are improved in the current treatment group. If the new treatment is associated with a better outcome, we would expect to find better outcome in more of the new treatment group than the current treatment group. -Individuals in both groups must have similar characteristics (comparability of study groups). -Selection criteria well defined. Pros & Cons of Randomized Trials correct answer: Pro: -Easier to Mask/blind -Very good at eliminating bias -Establishing causality -Good at finding out truth about effects of one intervention versus another Con: -Does not guarantee comparability -Requires a lot of planning (hard to undertake) - Very expensive (in terms of time & money) -Does not reveal causation (being able to show that an independent variable directly causes the dependent variable) When are randomized trials used? correct answer: -Evaluating new drugs & other treatments of disease -Assess new programs for screening & early detection -New ways of organizing & delivering health services What does it mean to randomize study subjects? correct answer: -Random, unpredictable & unrepeatable assignment of patients to treatments What does randomization accomplish? correct answer: -Non predictability of the next assignment (don't have to worry that any subjective biases may be introduced into the subject selection process) -Objectivity of assignment (giving the treatment to subjects who need it versus those who don't) -Comparability of groups (it hopefully increases likelihood that treatment & control groups are comparable...in regards to characteristics, in that they balance out between both groups) Why do we Prefer Randomization Over Matching? correct answer: -Matching does not accomplish everything that randomization does (ex: can't explain what you'v