Statistics for Postgraduate Orthopaedic Exams ( Part 1)

Description

The transcript begins with a warm welcome from the presenter on January 1, 2020, wishing everyone a Happy New Year. They express appreciation to mentors who contributed to the group throughout the previous year while introducing guest speaker Hani Ghazi from Cork University Hospital. The main focus of the session is on research methodology and statistics.



Hani discusses the importance of understanding data and its distribution, differentiating between normal and skewed data distributions using practical examples, such as ACL reconstructions and hip replacements. Key statistical terms like mean, median, and mode are defined, emphasizing their roles in understanding central tendency in data interpretation.



The conversation progresses into explaining variance and standard deviation, highlighting how these concepts signify the spread and reliability of data. The presenter lays out how confidence intervals are constructed and how they differ based on sample size, explaining that narrower intervals are indicative of higher reliability.



As the presentation continues, concepts such as hypothesis testing, p-values, and types of statistical errors (Type I and Type II errors) are elaborated upon. The power of a study, how to calculate sample size, and different types of study designs are all discussed in context, giving participants a thorough grounding in research methods.



The presenter then highlights evidence-based medicine, stressing the hierarchy of evidence from systematic reviews to randomized controlled trials. As the discussion progresses, they explain methodologies for conducting meta-analysis and deal with statistical significance, describing traditional statistical tests and their applications.



Throughout the session, Hani emphasizes the need for a solid understanding of statistical principles, encouraging engagement with data visualizations such as charts and plots to better convey research findings. They conclude with an invitation for questions, indicating that despite the complexities of statistics, a foundational knowledge enables rational discussions and decision-making in research contexts.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-221161

Specialties