Rx Note

Introduction Fundamentally, research seeks to uncover new knowledge. Sample size calculation determines the optimal number of participants required for a study. This balance ensures sufficient statistical power to detect meaningful effects while minimizing unnecessary resource expenditure and ethical implications , particularly in areas like drug trials. Moreover, in studies with large sample, even small effect becomes significant, whereas in small sample, a large effect may not be significant. Numerous statistical software packages are available (e.g., SPSS, R program, PS: Power and Sample Size Calculation ), and their use should be clearly specified within research studies. Key Elements of Sample Size Calculation Type of research question and associated designs Therapeutic Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for binomial (e.g., success/failure) or continuous outcomes (e.g., blood pressure). Aetiology Cohort or case-control studies, with considerations for confounders and effect siz...

Introduction The Graphic Appraisal Tool for Epidemiological studies (GATE) is a simple, easily remembered toolkit to help you critically appraise epidemiological studies that include 1 picture 2 equations Occurrence = number of outcomes ÷ number in study group Random error = 95% CI 3 acronyms PECOT - Participants, Exposure, Comparison, Outcome, Time RAMBOMAN - Recruitment, Allocation, Maintenance, Blind, Objective Measurement, Analysis FAITH (for systematic review)- Find, Appraise, Include, Total up, Heterogeneous Incidence and Prevalence Incidence = Measure of the probability of developing a disease Incidence rate: Number of new cases of disease per population in a specified time. Calculated by dividing the number of individuals who develop a disease during a given period by the number of individuals who were at risk of developing a disease during the same period. Prevalence = Measure of the number of individuals who have a condition/disease at any given time. Point prevalence: ...