CDS 610: Scientific Clinical Decision Making (3 Credits)

Fall Term 2011

CRN 11836

Meeting Days: Monday, Wednesday

Meeting Time: 13.00-14.20 in 201 CSB

Instructor: Dr. Cecilia Kirk

Office: 269 Hedco

Office Hours: by appointment

Phone Number: 346-2123

Email:

Learner Objectives

By completing this course, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the steps necessary for making responsible, scientific, clinical decisions.
  2. Learn to formulate “searchable” clinical questions that include background and foreground questions that incorporate the PICO components (Patient/Population; Intervention, Comparison intervention, Outcome).
  3. Conduct and describe a literature search including identifying keywords, selecting of appropriate databases, and expanding/limiting a search as appropriate.
  4. Interpret and critically appraise the psychometric properties of standardized tests.
  5. Critically analyze research in communication disorders through evaluation of the standard components of a research article: introduction, methods, results, and discussion.

Knowledge and Skills Acquisition (KASA) Form for Speech-Language Pathology

All students who will be applying for ASHA certification under the current Standards for Certification in Speech-Language Pathology must track their acquisition of the knowledge and skills required to achieve clinical competence. In completing all requirements for this course, the student will have partially satisfied the following standard:

Standard III-F: Knowledge of processes used in research and the integration of research principles into evidence-based clinical practice.

Textbook

Schiavetti, N. Metz, D. E., & Orlikoff, R. F. (2011).Evaluating research in communicative disorders (6th ed.). New Jersey: Pearson.

Suggested reading

Dollaghan, C. A. (2007). The handbook for evidence-based practice in communication disorders. Baltimore, MD: Brookes

Lecture Content

Week / Dates / Topic / Readings and assignments
More complete instructions for thehomework assignmentshave been posted on BB.
Wk 1 / 26 Sep / Overview of evidence-based practice
Interpreting standardized tests
  • Measures of central tendency and variability
  • Standard error of measurement
  • Confidence intervals
  • Interpreting different types of test scores: standard scores, percentile ranks, equivalent scores
/ Homework 1: Practice at scoring and interpreting the PPVT-4
28 Sep / Evaluating the standardization sample
Critical appraisal of the psychometric properties of standardized tests
  • Test validity
  • Test reliability
  • Diagnostic accuracy
/ Homework 2: Critical appraisal of the psychometric properties of the PPVT-4
Wk 2 / 3 Oct / Critical appraisal of the psychometric properties of the DEAP
5 Oct / How to create specific (PICO) clinical questions
How to search for external evidence
Bring laptop / Reading: Chapter 3 from Dollaghan (2007)
Homework 3: Use PubMed to conduct search for primary sources relating to specified PICO question
Wk 3 / 10 Oct / The Introduction section of the research article / Reading: ERCD pp. 9-16; pp. 25-56
Homework 4: Yaruss (1999)
12 Oct / Basic terminology and validity issues in research design /

Reading: ERCD pp. 111-121; 132-157

Homework 5: Bedore & Leonard (2000)

Wk 4 / 17 Oct / Single subject research designs / Reading: ERCD pp. 121-132; Perdices & Tate (2009)
Homework 6: Kashinath et al. (2006)
19 Oct / The Method section of the research article
  • Participants
  • Materials
  • Procedure
  • Data analysis
/ Reading: ERCD pp. 158-229
Homework 7: Laing Gillam et al. (2009)
Wk 5 / 24Oct / The Results section of the research article
  • Descriptive statistics
  • Statistical significance
  • Practical significance and indexes of effect size
  • T-tests
/ Reading: ERCD, pp. 230-262
Homework 8: Use Excel to calculate descriptive and inferential statistics for spoken persuasive discourse study (data on BB)
26 Oct / The Results section of the research article
  • Practice at identifying statistical and practical significance
/ Homework 9: Tyler et al. (2002)
Wk 6 / 31 Oct / Review for midterm
2 Nov / MIDTERM QUIZ
Wk 7 / 7 Nov / The Results section of the research article
  • ANOVAs
  • MANOVAs
  • ANCOVAs
/ Reading: ERCD, pp. 278-290
Homework 10: Kirk & Gillon (2009)
9 Nov / The Results section of the research article
  • Non-parametric tests
  • Correlational analyses
/ Reading: ERCD, pp. 290-313; 262-275
Homework 11: Pence et al. (2008)
Wk 8 / 16 Nov / Group presentations of the results section from a peer-reviewed journal article of your choice
The Discussion section of the research article / Reading: ERCD, pp. 329-363
Homework 12: Robey (2004)
Homework 13: Law, Garret, & Nye (2004)
16 Nov / NO CLASS: ANNUAL ASHA CONVENTION
Wk 9 / 21 Nov / Levels of evidence in clinical-outcome research
A five-phase model of clinical outcome research
Systematic reviews and meta-analyses / Reading: ERCD: pp. 377-380; pp. 400-403
23 Nov / NO CLASS: THANKSGIVING / Read Gillon (2000)
Wk 10 / 28 Nov / Evaluating treatment efficacy research
The CATE form for Gillon (2000)
Review for final quiz / Reading: ERCD: pp. 364-410
30 Dec / FINAL QUIZ
Wk 11 / 8 Dec / Final project due / Complete the CATE form for an efficacy study of your choice

Grading

It will be possible to earn 150 points. The course grade will be based on the percentage of total points earned.

Grading will be as follows:

A = 90-100%; B = 80-89%; C = 70-79%

Quizes (80 points)

There will one midterm quiz,which will contribute 50 points to your final grade and one final quiz, which will contribute 30 points to your final grade.

Textbook readings

Please use the lecture slides to guide your reading of the textbook. Use the textbook to supplement the lecture slides and to provide additional practice in identifying key concepts discussed in class.

Lecture slides

The lecture slides are posted on Blackboard well ahead of the day that they are discussed in class. Please print out a copy of the slides and bring it with you to class. You will need to have a copy of the lecture slides in front of you for a number of the in-class exercises and discussions. Please do not copy the content of the slides as they are presented during class as this prevents you from fully processing the material being presented.

Notebooks (10 points)

You will develop a notebook to organize the information covered in this class. This notebook will provide an extremely useful resource for completing your Evidence-Based Project in the Winter and Spring of your second year in the masters program. Your notebook must include the following elements:

  1. the course syllabus
  2. all lecture slides and handouts
  3. all homework assignments.

Notebooks are due on the last day of class. You can collect them from my office on Friday 2nd December at 9 am.

Group presentations: Results section from a peer-reviewed journal article (15 points)

Select a peer-reviewed journal article of your choice and present the results section of the paper to the rest of the class. You should provide a copy of the relevant pages from the journal article so that your classmates can follow your interpretation of the results. This is a group assignment and your presentation should last no more than 5 minutes with an additional 1-2 minutes allowed for questions. Use the “Groups” tool on Blackboard to sign up for one of the eight groups listed. You must sign up for your group by the beginning of Week 6.

Homework assignments (10 points for class participation)

You will be expected to complete a homework assignment for almost every class. These assignments are designed to help you reinforce key concepts discussed in class. Most of the assignments will require a close reading of a selected part of a published research article in order to answer some very specific questions. To answer these questions, you will very likely have to consult the lecture slides and read the relevant sections of your textbook. The homework assignments are due the class after they appear on the class schedule. I do not require that these homework assignments be turned in for grading. However, participation in classroom discussions of these assignments will account for 10 points of your final grade. Please type out your answers as you will have to turn them in on the last day of class as part of your Notebook.

Final project: Evaluating treatment efficacy research (30 points)

Complete the Critical Appraisal of Treatment Evidence (CATE) form for a peer-reviewed journal article of your choice that reports on an efficacy study. You will find a copy of the CATE form posted on Blackboard. This is a group assignment and you should use SafeAssign on Blackboard to electronically submit one assignment per group by 8 am on 8th December. Use the “Groups” tool on Blackboard to sign up for one of the eight groups listed. You must sign up for your group by the beginning of Week 8. You are required to send me a copy of the journal article that you have selected before 8 am on Wednesday 23 November so that I can assess whether the article you have chosen is appropriate.

COE/University policies

ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT POLICY

All students are subject to the regulations stipulated in the UO Student Conduct Code ( This code represents a compilation of important regulations, policies, and procedures pertaining to student life. It is intended to inform students of their rights and responsibilities during their association with this institution, and to provide general guidance for enforcing those regulations and policies essential to the educational and research missions of the University.

CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Several options, both informal and formal, are available to resolve conflicts for students who believe they have been subjected to or have witnesses bias, unfairness, or other improper treatment. It is important to exhaust the administrative remedies available to you including discussing the conflict with the specific individual, contacting the Department Head, or within the College of Education, you can contact Joe Stevens, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, at 346-2445 or or Surendra Subramani, Diversity Coordinator, at 346-1472 or .
Outside the College, you can contact:
UO Bias Response Team: 346-1139 or

Conflict Resolution Services 346 -0617 or

Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity: 346-3123 or

DIVERSITY

It is the policy of the University of Oregon to support and value diversity. To do so requires that we:

Respect the dignity and essential worth of all individuals.

Promote a culture of respect throughout the University community.

Respect the privacy, property, and freedom of others.

Reject bigotry, discrimination, violence, or intimidation of any kind.

Practice personal and academic integrity and expect it from others.

Promote the diversity of opinions, ideas and backgrounds which is the lifeblood of the university.

DOCUMENTED DISABILITY

Appropriate accommodations will be provided for students with documented disabilities. If you have a documented disability and require accommodation, arrange to meet with the course instructor within the first two weeks of the term. The documentation of your disability must come in writing from the Disability Services in the Office of Academic Advising and Student Services. Disabilities may include (but are not limited to) neurological impairment, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, chronic medical conditions, emotional/psychological disabilities, hearing impairment, and learning disabilities. For more information on Disability Services, please see

EXPECTED CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR

Classroom expectations include:

Participating in class activities

Respecting the diversity of cultures, opinions, viewpoints in the classroom

Listening to fellow students, professors, and lecturers with respect

Arriving on time, prepared for class

Attending for the duration of class

Not reading other materials, books, newspapers, or using laptops for other activities

Turn off cell phones and other electronic devices

Racist, homophobic, sexist, and other disrespectful comments will not be tolerated

GRIEVANCE

A student or group of students of the College of Education may appeal decisions or actions pertaining to admissions, programs, evaluation of performance and program retention and completion. Students who decide to file a grievance should follow the student grievance procedure, or alternative ways to file a grievanceoutlined in the Student Grievance Policy ( or enter search: student grievance.

INCLEMENT WEATHER

In the event the university operates on a curtailed schedule or closes, UO media relations will notify the Eugene-Springfield area radio and television stations as quickly as possible. In addition, a notice regarding the university’s schedule will be posted on the UO main home page (in the “News” section) at Additional information is available at
If an individual class must be canceled due to inclement weather, illness, or other reason, a notice will be posted via email. During periods of inclement weather, please check your email rather than contact department personnel. Due to unsafe travel conditions, departmental staff may be limited and unable to handle the volume of calls from you and others.

be limited and unable to handle the volume of calls from you and others.

COURSE INCOMPLETES

Students are expected to be familiar with university policy and procedures, which result in failing to complete the course by the end of the term in which it is offered. Please see

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