What's Going To Happen To Me, Doctor?

Question 1

RCTs are not appropriate to provide evidence for prognosis outcomes. What study designs are more better?

Answer 1

Cohort studies
Case-control studies

(Because they are observational)

Question 2

Why is prognosis important? Give 4 reasons

Answer 2

Knowledge of prognosis can help diagnostic / treatment decisions

Important for patients to know the likely course of their disease

Different patients will value outcomes differently, and hence this must be taken into account during decision making

Doctors are not always accurate in their prognosis judgements

Question 3

Define “prognosis”

Answer 3

An assessment of the future course and outcome of a patient’s disease

Question 4

What is a “risk factor”?

Answer 4

They are patient characteristics associated with development of the condition in the first place

Question 5

Define “prognostic factor”?

Answer 5

Characteristics used to predict outcomes more accurately

Question 8

Give examples of three prognostic factors

Answer 8

Demographic (age, gender)
Disease-specific (tumour grade)
Co-morbidities (existing conditions)

Question 9

What population of individuals are studied in a Cohort Study?

Answer 9

A group of individuals with a disease or who have been exposed to a risk factor…

Compared to a comparison group

Question 10

What population of individuals are studied in a Case Controlled Study?

Answer 10

People with diseases are compared with controls without diseases, against risk factors exposed to them in the past