Two Independent Research Groups Are Studying the Effect of a New

question 354

Multiple Choice

Two independent research groups are studying the effect of a new anticoagulant on the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis after hip replacement surgery.  The first group designs a 1:1 randomized trial with 1000 patients comparing the new drug with the standard of care (500 patients in each group) .  The second group designs a similar randomized trial but intends to recruit 500 patients (250 patients in each group) .  Assuming similar populations for patient recruitment, the small study has a higher chance of which of the following?

• A)Early termination
• B)Outcome misclassification
• C)Selection bias
• D)Type I error
• E)Type II error

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Definitions:

Economic Reasoning

Refers to the process of making decisions based on comparing costs and benefits.

Marginal Costs

The added expense to produce one more item; it can decrease or increase depending on production size and efficiency.

Marginal Benefits

The boost in satisfaction or usefulness derived from the consumption of an additional unit of a good or service.

Rational Individuals

People who make decisions by logically evaluating options based on their preferences and the likely outcomes to maximize their benefit or utility.