Journal of clinical epidemiology
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New study design evaluated the validity of measures to assess change after hip or knee arthroplasty.
We propose a study design to evaluate the ability of measures to assess physical function relatively independent of pain. We illustrate the design using data from patients scheduled for total hip (THA) or knee (TKA) arthroplasty. ⋯ Our findings support the proposed design in that the PB was more sensitive to change than the self-report measures.
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Meta-analyses of observational studies often get spuriously precise results. We aimed to factor this skepticism in meta-analysis calculations. ⋯ Consideration of credibility ceilings allows conservative interpretation of observational evidence and can be applied routinely to meta-analyses of observational studies.
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Review
Diagnostic test accuracy may vary with prevalence: implications for evidence-based diagnosis.
Several studies and systematic reviews have reported results that indicate that sensitivity and specificity may vary with prevalence. ⋯ Sensitivity and specificity may vary in different clinical populations, and prevalence is a marker for such differences. Clinicians are advised to base their decisions on studies that most closely match their own clinical situation, using prevalence to guide the detection of differences in study population or study design.
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Randomized trials generally use "frequentist" statistics based on P-values and 95% confidence intervals. Frequentist methods have limitations that might be overcome, in part, by Bayesian inference. To illustrate these advantages, we re-analyzed randomized trials published in four general medical journals during 2004. ⋯ Bayesian and frequentist analyses complement each other when interpreting the results of randomized trials. Future reports of randomized trials should include both.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Thicker paper and larger font increased response and completeness in a postal survey.
To investigate the effect of font size and paper thickness on the response to, and completion of, a self-completion postal questionnaire among older people with joint pain. ⋯ This study demonstrates that questionnaires in larger font and on thicker paper may produce higher and more complete responses than surveys using standard size font and standard thickness paper, and should therefore be considered in studies among older people.