medicine and science

Question 1

What is the scientific method

Answer 1

• observation/experiments
• explanation (hypothesis) which can be tested
• prediction
• experimentation and data interpretation
• confirmation (or not) of the hypothesis
• peer review
• publication (conference/academic journal)

Question 2

What are some funding bodies towards research

Answer 2

pharmaceutical industry
government
charities

Question 3

example of marketed antiviral drug

Answer 3

tamiflu

Question 4

What can lead to ‘bad science’

Answer 4

under recruitment in trials 
no published protocols 
placebo capsules contained in dehyrocholic acid and dibasic calcium phosphate dehydrate 
unidentifiable authors 
missing statistical analyses

Question 5

tell me about Pfizer

Answer 5

was said to treat a range of neurological disorders such as bi solar epilepsy migraines e.t.c

Question 6

What a primary research study

Answer 6

direct experimentation:
-in vitro models (molecular biology, cell and tissue culture, isolated tissue and organs
-in vivo testing (animals and volunteers (artificial control over biological variables)
clinical trials:
drug treatments and follow up
surveys

Question 7

secondary research study

Answer 7

• review (expert summery of a number of research studies)
• systematic review (objective analysis of all qualifying primary research studies
• meta-analysis-integrated analysis of the numerical data from all qualifying studies

Question 8

evidence pyramid

Answer 8

randomised control trail is the peak as very reliable whereas an ‘expert opinion’ or meeting someone at the union may be biased

Question 9

peer review

Answer 9

this is the process of subjecting an authors scholarly work or ideas to scrutiny of anonymous referees who are experts in the field

Question 10

what does peer review ensure

Answer 10

authors meet the standards of their discipline and of science generally