Identify the problem/question, write a hypothesis for each of the statements, and identify the independent variable, dependent variable, control group, experimental group, and 3 constants for

Question

You are a doctor working at Kaiser. You want to test a new drug for cancer patients who are being treated in your hospital. You have a good feeling that this drug will work. You have 100 patients on which to test your drug.

Answer 1

Problem/Question

Does the new drug improve outcomes for cancer patients compared to standard treatment?

Hypothesis

1. Null Hypothesis (H₀): The new drug has no effect on the outcomes of cancer patients compared to the standard treatment.
2. Alternative Hypothesis (H₁): The new drug improves outcomes for cancer patients compared to the standard treatment.

Variables

1. Independent Variable:
2. The type of treatment (new drug vs. standard treatment).
3. Dependent Variable:
4. Patient outcomes (e.g., tumor size reduction, survival rate, quality of life scores, or biomarkers of disease progression).

Groups

1. Control Group:
2. Cancer patients receiving the standard treatment.
3. Experimental Group:
4. Cancer patients receiving the new drug.

Constants (to ensure a fair test):

1. Patient characteristics: Age, cancer stage, and general health must be similar across groups.
2. Treatment environment: Both groups should be treated in the same hospital under similar conditions.
3. Monitoring and follow-up procedures: Frequency and methods of evaluating patient outcomes must be consistent for all participants.