Clinical Literature Interpretation Flashcards
7 cards from real BCACP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Clinical Literature Interpretation flashcards as text
In a survival analysis, which graphical method is used to display time-to-event data comparing two treatment groups?
Answer: Kaplan-Meier curve
Kaplan-Meier curves display the probability of survival over time and allow visual comparison between groups.
A study applies Bonferroni correction when analyzing multiple secondary endpoints. What is the purpose of this adjustment?
Answer: To control the family-wise Type I error rate when performing multiple comparisons
Bonferroni correction divides the alpha level by the number of comparisons to reduce the chance of false positive results.
A funnel plot in a meta-analysis is asymmetrical. This finding most likely indicates:
Answer: Publication bias may be present
Asymmetry in a funnel plot suggests smaller studies with negative results may not have been published, indicating publication bias.
Which of the following best defines a surrogate endpoint?
Answer: A biomarker used as a substitute for a clinically meaningful outcome
Surrogate endpoints are biomarkers (e.g., HbA1c, LDL-C) assumed to correlate with clinical outcomes but may not capture true patient benefit.
A pharmacist critically evaluates a trial and notes patients in the control group received standard care instead of placebo. This describes which control type?
Answer: Active comparator control
An active comparator control compares the new intervention to existing standard-of-care treatment rather than an inert placebo.
In a clinical trial, which measure quantifies the variability of the sample mean and indicates the precision of the estimate?
Answer: Standard error of the mean (SEM)
SEM reflects how precisely the sample mean estimates the population mean and decreases as sample size increases.
A pharmacist interprets a hazard ratio (HR) of 0.72 (95% CI 0.55–0.94) from a time-to-event analysis. What is the correct interpretation?
Answer: The treatment group had a 28% lower rate of the event compared to control at any given time point
An HR of 0.72 means the instantaneous event rate in the treatment group is 28% lower than in the control group throughout follow-up.