Table foo1.
| No | Question Type | Question | Percent Correct (SD) 25 Physicians | Answer | Times Looked Up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diagnosis | Is their any benefit of routine pap smear in persons who have had a hysterectomy for benign disease? | 0.64 (0.49) | No | 2 |
| 2 | Prognosis | Is ultrasound the best diagnostic test available to exclude the presence of lower extremity deep vein thrombosis? | 0.44 (0.51) | Yes | 3 |
| 3 | Treatment | Are non-acetylated salicylates really safer, e.g., have less incidence of acid-peptic problems, in patients with NSAID GI intolerance (who benefit from anti-inflammatory effect)? | 0.32 (0.48) | Yes | 4 |
| 4 | Prognosis | Is the elevation of alkaline phosphatase a better indicator of recurring prostate cancer than a rising PSA? | 0.08 (0.28) | Can’t tell | 4 |
| 5 | Diagnosis | Is the cyto brush superior to a spatula in obtaining cells for PAP smears in terms of technical quality (e.g., percent of interpretable smears)? | 0.88 (0.33) | Yes | 2 |
| 6 | Treatment | For institutionalized adults, to prevent influenza and reduce mortality from it, is it more effective to vaccinate health care workers for influenza than patient/residents? | 0.44 (0.51) | Yes | 4 |
| 7 | Treatment | Is there any benefit for ultrasound as physical therapy for sprained ankle? | 0.60 (0.50) | No | 4 |
| 8 | Treatment | Is penicillin superior to ciprofloxacin for the outpatient treatment of pelvic inflammatory disease? | 0.16 (0.37) | Can’t tell | 3 |
| 9 | Treatment | Is anti-inflammatory therapy (NSAIDs) better than Tylenol for elderly patients with degenerative joint disease? | 0.80 (0.41) | No | 0 |
| 10 | Etiology | Is there evidence of an association between petroleum product exposure and bladder cancer? | 0.00 (0.00) | No | 3 |
| 11 | Treatment | Is a high dose (1200 to 1500 mg daily) regimen of zidovudine therapeutically superior to a low dose (500 to 600 mg daily) one in patients with positive HIV antibody for reducing the progression to AIDS? | 0.38 (0.49) | No | 3 |
| 12 | Diagnosis | Will prostate specific antigen screening lower the mortality rate of prostate cancer in low risk men after they reach the age of 50? | 0.52 (0.51) | Can’t tell | 0 |
| 13 | Treatment | Is there good evidence that an antibiotic can prevent endocarditis in an 18-year-old woman with rheumatic heart disease (mild mitral regurgitation) who is to have a dental root canal? | 0.16 (0.37) | Can’t tell | 1 |
| 14 | Prognosis | A 52-year-old woman recently had a modified radical mastectomy for infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast. Her axillary lymph nodes are negative for tumor. Would estrogen receptor negativity be more like to indicate a relatively poor prognosis for this patient, rather than thyroid hormone receptor positivity? | 0.16 (0.37) | Can’t tell | 4 |
| 15 | Etiology | A 40-year-old premenopausal woman consults you about her risk of breast cancer. Does prior use of birth control pills increase her risk? | 0.84 (0.37) | No | 2 |
| 16 | Etiology | Does anti-reflux surgery in patients with Barrett’s esophagus reduce the risk of developing adenocarcinoma? | 0.24 (0.44) | Can’t tell | 2 |
| 17 | Etiology | Is long-distance running associated with intervertebral disc narrowing in men? | 0.20 (0.41) | Can’t tell | 3 |
| 18 | Prognosis | Would plasma norepinepherine levels indicate poor prognosis in congestive heart failure better than hyponatremia? | 0.20 (0.41) | Can’t tell | 3 |
| 18 | Treatment | Is Trental (pentoxifylline) the best drug available to improve symptoms of peripheral vascular disease? | 0.36 (0.49) | No | 0 |
| 20 | Prognosis | Do the majority (>50%) of terminal AIDS patients have clinical symptoms of cardiac involvement? | 0.40 (0.50) | No | 0 |
| 21 | Treatment | Are antidepressants effective for reducing pain and nausea in patients with IBS? | 0.60 (0.50) | Yes | 0 |
| 22 | Treatment | Is advocacy a useful approach for helping women leave an abusive situation? | 0.60 (0.50) | Yes | 0 |
| 23 | Treatment | Is acetazolamide effective for both preventing and treating high altitude sickness? | 0.75 (0.44) | Yes | 0 |
* This question replaced the question: Does dietary protein affect the level of proteinuria in patients with protein-losing neprhopathy? which was no longer valid in the fall of 2004.
Answers are correct to the best of our abilities as of September 2004.
Questions that went from being correct to becoming incorrect after searching: 2, 3 (twice), 7, 11, 15.
Questions that went from being incorrect to becoming correct after searching: 1 4, 8, 11, 16, 18.