OBJECTIVE To assess the learning curve of novice residents in diagnosing acute appendicitis using abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans. METHODS This prospective observational study was conducted within a 4-month period from March 1 to June 30, 2015. After CT scans for right lower quadrant pain or similar acute abdomen were evaluated, postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) residents completed an inte...

The STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) were published in five journals in 2001 and 2002. These guidelines, in the form of a checklist and explanations for use by authors and journal editors, were designed to improve reporting of acupuncture trials, particularly the interventions, thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. Subsequent...

The STandards for Reporting Interventions in Clinical Trials of Acupuncture (STRICTA) were published in five journals in 2001 and 2002. These guidelines, in the form of a checklist and explanations for use by authors and journal editors, were designed to improve reporting of acupuncture trials, particularly the interventions, thereby facilitating their interpretation and replication. Subsequent...

In recent decades, the study of biological variation of laboratory analytes has received increased attention. The reasons for this interest are related to the potential practical applications of such knowledge. Biological variation data allow the derivation of important parameters for the interpretation and use of laboratory tests, such as the index of individuality for the evaluation of the ut...

PurposeThis study develops a checklist with guidelines for the methods and important factors to consider in research using structural equation modeling (SEM).MethodThe paper discusses process across three stages of 1) model setting, 2) evaluation modification, 3) interpretation reporting SEM-based studies.ResultsThe authors present researchers during result analysis, reporting, along examples f...

Distinguishing Alzheimer's disease (AD) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) currently relies on a clinical history and examination, but positron emission tomography with [(18)F] fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) shows different patterns of hypometabolism in these disorders that might aid differential diagnosis. Six dementia experts with variable FDG-PET experience made independent, forced choice, diag...

A Descriptive study was conducted to assess the knowledge and practice regarding self-medication among patients visiting outpatient department in a selected hospital of Delhi. sample 100 using convenient sampling technique. structured questionnaire self-expressed checklist administered self-medication. The data analysis interpretation were done descriptive inferential statistics. Most had avera...

The CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) Statement, including a checklist and a flow diagram, was developed to help authors improve their reporting of randomized controlled trials. Its primary focus was on individually randomized trials with 2 parallel groups that assess the possible superiority of one treatment compared with another but is now being extended to other trial desi...

BACKGROUND Research on trauma and its impact on mental health typically relies on self-reports which can be influenced by recall bias and an individual's subjective interpretation of events. This study aims to compare responses on a checklist of life events with a trauma experience screening question, both of which assessed trauma experience retrospectively. METHODS A community sample of adul...

In this issue of Family Medicine, Drs Turner and Dankoski1 raise questions about the reliability and validity of objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs). They propose that many institutions may be using an OSCE that does not have adequate reliability, and their interpretation of the literature is that the validity of OSCEs has not been established. I agree with their conclusions. The...