Researchers in a Medical Research Council: Choosing the Right Survey Type

(a) Choosing the Right Survey Type

Researchers in a Medical Research Council are required to conduct a survey to establish the effectiveness of a newly produced drug/medication for treating Tuberculosis (TB) patients. They are considering between a cross-sectional survey and a longitudinal survey. i) Which survey type would you recommend to the researchers? ii) Provide a brief explanation on how this survey type works and how it will help achieve the objective.

(b) Disadvantage of Requiring a Sampling Frame

Why do we consider the requirement for a sampling frame a disadvantage of probability sampling?

i) Which of the two types of surveys would you recommend to the researchers in the Medical Research Council?

ii) In order to help these researchers to understand the type of survey you recommended in (i) and how it will help them to establish the effectiveness of this drug/medication in treating TB patients, give a brief, clear and precise explanation on how this survey work. Your explanation should be in line with the required survey and the set objective.

Final answer:

A longitudinal survey is recommended for researchers in the Medical Research Council to establish the effectiveness of a newly produced drug/medication for treating Tuberculosis (TB) patients. This type of survey follows a sample of individuals over an extended period, allowing researchers to track their progress and assess the impact of the drug/medication on their health outcomes.

Explanation:

To establish the effectiveness of a newly produced drug/medication for treating Tuberculosis (TB) patients, researchers in the Medical Research Council should use a longitudinal survey. Unlike a cross-sectional survey that provides a snapshot of the population at a specific point in time, a longitudinal survey follows a sample of individuals over an extended period. This type of survey is ideal for assessing the long-term effectiveness of the drug/medication.

By following TB patients over time, researchers can track their progress and observe any changes in their health outcomes. They can collect data at multiple time points, allowing them to analyze the impact of the drug/medication on various parameters such as symptom improvement, disease progression, and overall patient well-being.

A longitudinal survey would provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of the drug/medication in the real-world context of TB treatment. It would help researchers understand how the drug/medication influences patient outcomes over time, enabling them to make informed decisions about its efficacy and potential benefits.

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