nstruction:
I. Describe the type of study design that is most appropriate for each scenario and why
1.Outbreak of gastroenteritis has occurred among 80 attendees of a conference at Tourist Hotel. You have been asked to investigate this outbreak and identify the source, if possible. All of the attendees will remain at the hotel for 4 more days, so you can ask everyone to fill out a questionnaire about what they ate and drank.
2.One report presents four cases of human fascioliasis in Ethiopia. There are only few case reports of human fascioliasis in Ethiopia as the disease mostly affects animals. However, the need to be aware of the possibility of occurrence of this disease in humans and the inclusion of drugs used for treating the disease, in the Ethiopian drug list, should be emphasized.
3.The surveillance system has identified 23 confirmed cases of hepatitis A in a large community. Usually the community has only 1 or 2 cases in the same time period. The cases appear to live in different parts of the city. You have been asked to investigate this increase and identify the cause, if possible.
4.Investigators examine data from police records to identify crash factors associated with a driver fatality vs.driver non-fatality. The crash factors they consider are driver blood alcohol level, driver age and driver use of the seat belt
5.Researchers administered a questionnaire to all new students at paramed college. The questionnaire included questions about behaviors such as exercise, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The researchers plan to distribute follow-up questionnaires at graduation and every five years thereafter, asking about health events and conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
6.To investigate the relationship between egg consumption and heart disease, a group of patients admitted to a hospital with myocardial infarction were questioned about their egg consumption. Another group of patients admitted to a fracture clinic were also questioned about the egg consumption using an identical protocol.
7.To test the efficacy of vitamin C in preventing colds, students are randomly assigned to two groups: one given 500mg of vitamin C daily, and one given placebo. Both groups are followed to determine the number and severity of subsequent colds.
8.To investigate the relationship between certain solvents and cancer, all employees at a factory were questioned about their exposure to an industrial solvent, and the amount and length of exposure measured. These subjects were regularly monitored, and after 10 years a copy of the death certificate for all those who died was obtained.
9.A survey was conducted of all the physicians employed at a particular hospital. Among other questions, the questionnaire asked about the number of years in study and whether or not she/he was satisfied with her career prospects.
10.A study describes the clinical course of patients who have very rare neurological disorder. Patients are identified at a referral center that specializes in this disease. Their medical records are reviewed for patient characteristics and treatments and are then related to their current status.
1. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a cohort study. By asking everyone to fill out a questionnaire, the researchers can collect information on what attendees ate and drank, and then follow them over the next 4 days to see if they develop gastroenteritis. This will help identify the source of the outbreak and determine any potential risk factors.
2. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a case report. Since there are only a few cases of human fascioliasis in Ethiopia, a case report is sufficient to raise awareness about the disease and highlight the need to include treatment drugs in the Ethiopian drug list.
3. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a retrospective cohort study. By investigating the 23 confirmed cases of hepatitis A and comparing them with the usual number of cases in the community, researchers can identify any potential risk factors and determine the cause of the increase.
4. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a case-control study. By examining data from police records and comparing crash factors between driver fatality and non-fatality cases, researchers can identify any associations between blood alcohol level, driver age, and seat belt use with the outcome of fatality.
5. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a longitudinal cohort study. By administering questionnaires to new students and planning to distribute follow-up questionnaires at graduation and every five years thereafter, researchers can collect information on behaviors and health events over an extended period of time to observe any associations or trends.
6. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a case-control study. By questioning patients admitted to a hospital with myocardial infarction and patients admitted to a fracture clinic about their egg consumption, researchers can compare the two groups and determine if there is a relationship between egg consumption and heart disease.
7. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a randomized controlled trial. By randomly assigning students to two groups - one receiving vitamin C and one receiving placebo - researchers can determine the efficacy of vitamin C in preventing colds by comparing the number and severity of colds in both groups.
8. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a prospective cohort study. By questioning all employees at a factory about their exposure to an industrial solvent and regularly monitoring them for 10 years, researchers can observe any associations between solvent exposure and cancer development, which can be further assessed through the obtained death certificates.
9. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a cross-sectional study. By conducting a survey of all physicians employed at a particular hospital, researchers can collect information on various factors, such as years in study and career satisfaction, at a single point in time.
10. The most appropriate study design for this scenario is a retrospective cohort study. By identifying patients with a rare neurological disorder at a referral center and reviewing their medical records, researchers can examine patient characteristics, treatments, and current status to describe the clinical course of the disease.