Question

1. Name the six key features of good experimental studies and state how each is achieved.
2. What is the aim of a randomized experimental study that tests a health care intervention?

Answer 1

1. 6 key features of good experimental studies are;

• independent variable
• dependent variable
• pretesting
• post testing
• experimental group
• control group

1. Independent variable; it is the intervention being tested. It is obtained from our research topic. There will be only one independent variable

2. The dependent variable; is the intended effect the researcher wants the intervention to have. Here, it is achived through the various steps that is taken to identify the factors that affect the independent variable.

For example, a new therapy for binge eating disorder. Here, the dependent variale are the nuberof episodes of binge eating that a participant reports.

3. Pre testing;is those which is taken prior to the intervention. In the above case of binge eating, the researcher frist identify the number of episodes prior to her intervention and that is pretest.

4. Post testing. Test is taken after the intervention. In the aove case, the testing of participants regarding the number of episodes after the introduction of a new therapy is a posttest

5.experimental group; is the group where we perform the new therapy. Here, we divide the group into two. In experimental group we perform our new therapy.

6.control group, is the one where we do not perform any interventions. Here, we do not do any changes and just check with the other group to know the effectiveness.

II) A randomized experimental group aims to reduce certain bias when testing the effectiveness of new treatments.This is accomplished by randomly allocaing the subjects to two or more groups,treating then differently and comparing them with respect to a measured response.

In health care settings the randomized control design is usually developed in order to find the effectiveness of patient care based on the various aspects of hospital. It is usually done to identify how each and evry aspects of hospital setting can influence the patient care and how it ca be modified to provide the bes care to the patients.