GLOSSARY
OF TERMS
     
     
D
DARE
See
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness
Database
A
collection of organized information usually held on a computer.
In some ways a database is similar to a filing system, but with
important advantages: the information can be revised and kept
up to date easily, and the computer can retrieve information
from it very quickly. Electronic databases such as MEDLINE,
EMBASE and the CDSR can be distributed on disk, CD-ROM or via
the Internet.
Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness
(DARE)
A collection of structured abstracts and bibliographic references
of systematic reviews of the effects of healthcare. See
the Cochrane
Library.
Decision
analysis
A
technique used to aid decision-making under conditions of uncertainty
by systematically representing and examining all of the
relevant information for a decision and the uncertainty
around that information. The available choices are plotted on
a decision tree. At each branch, or decision node, the probabilities
of each outcome that can be predicted are estimated. The relative
worth or preferences of decision-makers for the various
possible outcomes for a decision can also be estimated and incorporated
in a decision analysis.
Detection
bias (synonym:
ascertainment bias)
Systematic differences between comparison groups in how
outcomes are ascertained, diagnosed or verified.
Dichotomous
data (synonym:
binary data)
Observations with two possible categories such as dead /
alive, smoker / non-smoker, present / not present.
Double
blind (synonym:
double masked)
Neither the participants in a trial nor the investigators
(outcome assessors) are aware of which intervention participants
are given. The purpose of blinding the participants (recipients
and providers of care) is to prevent performance
bias. The purpose of blinding the investigators (outcome
assessors, who might also be the care providers) is to protect
against detection bias. See also blinding,single
blind, triple
blind, concealment
of allocation.
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