E-Book Overview
Covers systemic medical conditions most likely to affect ophthalmic patients, such as infectious, metabolic, neurologic and cardiovascular diseases; cancer; and rheumatic and endocrine disorders. Includes a discussion of preventive medicine and medical emergencies, geriatrics and statistics. Ophthalmic considerations are highlighted throughout. Contains references and tables listing the names, indications and side effects of antibiotic, antihypertensive and anticancer drugs. Upon completion of Section 1, readers should be able to: *Describe the ophthalmic manifestations of major systemic diseases *Summarize the major disease processes affecting most of the adult population, and briefly explain how preventive measures may reduce the morbidity and mortality they cause *List some of the factors associated with a patient s compliance or noncompliance with medical regimens Last major revision: 2015-2016 Section chair: Herbert J. Ingraham, MD CME Information The American Academy of Ophthalmology is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. The American Academy of Ophthalmology designates this enduring material for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. The American Medical Association requires that all learners participating in activities involving enduring materials complete a formal assessment before claiming CME credit. To assess your achievement in this activity and ensure that a specified level of knowledge has been reached, a post-test for this section of the Basic and Clinical Science Course is provided. A minimum score of 80% must be obtained to pass the test and claim CME credit. Visit CME Central for more information. About the BCSC The Academy's Basic and Clinical Science CourseTM (BCSC®) is ophthalmology s definitive compilation of scientific research and clinical experience. It is continually updated by a faculty of more than 100 expert ophthalmologists. Each of the 13 volumes includes fundamental clinical knowledge; numerous tables, photos and illustrations; self-assessment questions with answers; and opportunities for earning AMA PRA Category 1 CreditTM. Beginning with the 2013-2014 edition, the Academy and the European Board of Ophthalmology (EBO) have partnered to make the BCSC the standard text for all European ophthalmology training programs. The EBO now recommends the BCSC as the primary educational resource for European trainees and ophthalmologists studying for the annual EBO Diploma Exam.
E-Book Content
Using Statistics in Clinical Practice CHAPTER
1
Ophthalmologists use clinical research to establish best practices for patient care. Clinical research can be complex, requiring an interdisciplinary group of clinicians, statisticians, and epidemiologists to design the study, analyze the data, and interpret the results. Researchers choose a study design based on the research questions, the population available, and the required resources and e ort. This chapter will help the clinician understand how to critically review clinical research and apply the results in the clinical practice of ophthalmology.
Researching Answers to Clinical Questions Formulating the clinical question is the rst step in resolving a diagnostic or management issue. Examples of clinical questions in ophthalmology include: What is the prevalence of glaucoma in African Americans? Do racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States have a higher risk of proliferative vitreoretinopathy after pars plana vitrectomy? What is the expected survival of a corneal graft in a patient with Fuchs dystrophy? Clinicians can use several sources of information to research the answers to their questions. These include ge