Patient Safety & Quality Improvement USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 45-year-old hospitalist implements a new medication reconciliation training program across 200 residents. Six months later, medication error rates are lower in the intervention group (8.2% vs 10.1%, p = 0.051), but this does not meet the traditional significance threshold of p < 0.05. Chart review shows no adverse events attributable to errors in either group. The researcher notes adequate statistical power was achieved. Which best explains this study's primary limitation?
Answer choices
- AThe study had low statistical power due to bias
- BThe training program is definitively ineffective
- CThere is insufficient evidence to conclude the intervention reduces errors, though a true effect may existCorrect answer
- DThe p-value proves no relationship exists between training and errors
- EThe result is clinically insignificant regardless of p-value
- FThe study demonstrates a Type I error because the p-value exceeds 0.05
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