Module Components

• Overview

Topics

• Measuring Quality Of Data
• Sensitivity and Specificity
• Meta-Analyses
• Ethical Issues in Statistical Practice

NRSG 795: BIOSTATISTICS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE

Module 10: Other Common Uses of Statistics and the Need for Good Data

Overview

The quality of the data, type of study design, and consistency of findings are important issues to consider when making decisions about implementing change based on research. A method for systematically combining pertinent qualitative and quantitative study data from several selected studies to develop a single conclusion is known as a meta analysis. These types of analyses are very powerful because the conclusion is statistically stronger than the analysis of any single study, due to increased numbers of subjects, greater diversity among subjects, or accumulated effects and results.

But even before you think of systematically combining results across studies you need to evaluate the measurement aspects of each study. Why is measurement so important? If you don’t know what you are assessing how do you feel about making policy and care plan changes? So every study should have a goal of minimizing measurement error because unreliable measures reduce statistical power and increase the risk of making Type II errors.  Reliability and validity are hallmarks of quality data.

Four subtopics are examined in this module: Measuring Quality of Data, sensitivity and specificity, and Meta-analysis and ethic data handling.

Objectives

At the conclusion of this module, the learner will be able to:

• Identify the common types and statistical measures of test reliability and validity.
• Correctly interpret reports of scale reliability and validity in manuscripts.
• Define and discuss sensitivity and specificity, giving appropriate formulas and calculations
• Read a meta-analytic report and understand the reporting of effect sizes for individual studies and combined studies.

Directions

Complete the required readings, videos, and learning activities under each of the subtopics.