HOME HELP CONTACT US SUBSCRIPTIONS CME ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Take the CME quiz: Vol. 20 No. 2, August 2008 Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services E-mail this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to My File Cabinet Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via CrossRef Google Scholar Articles by Neuspiel, D. R. PubMed Articles by Neuspiel, D. R.

AAP Grand Rounds 20:18-19 (2008)
© 2008 American Academy of Pediatrics

Weighing the Evidence: Bias in Pediatric Studies

Bias is defined as any process that leads to the systematic deviation of study results or inferences from the truth.¹ The term bias does not mean that the investigator’s conscious or unconscious views led to a particular subjective interpretation, as in conventional usage of the word. Bias in evidence-based medicine refers to deviations from the truth that generally result from limitations in study design or reporting rather than from personal prejudices. Some forms of bias are inevitable in research, but need to be recognized and accounted for by investigators and readers.

Many distinct forms of bias have been recognized. In 1979, Sackett identified 57 types.² In 2005, Choi and Pak noted 48 varieties of bias solely in studies using questionnaires.³ Dorak described 108 bias categories in 2008.⁴ I will describe a few of the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Prevalence-incidence (Neyman) bias:

Selection and non-respondent bias:

Admission rate (Berkson) bias:

Recall bias:

Reporting bias:

Publication bias:

Confounding bias: