Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The model for this randomized block design is:
Y
i,j
= α + β
1
x
i
+ β
2
x
j
+ ε
where:
Y
i,j
is observation
i, j
;
α is the mean;
β
1
is the effect of the primary factor, the levels of
concentration of the sanitizing solution (
i
= level 1; level 2,
. . . level mean;
β
2
is the effect of other program factors;
ε is the random error term.
The observations will be the environmental monitoring data
from the sampled sites. The primary factor, the levels of
concentration of the sanitizing solution, will range from the
level 1 to the level n concentration.
Immediately following sanitizing activities by the members
of the sanitizing and cleaning unit, EM data will be collected
and appropriately recorded.
The study hypothesis addresses the effect on bioburden
of the levels of concentration of the sanitizing solution.
The higher the level of concentration, the greater the
reduction of the bioburden. Given the analysis of variance
(ANOVA) and the F-distribution, if F
0
> F
a
we may
conclude that the factor values are different for a given
signifi cance level
a
and the null hypothesis is to be rejected.
Such fi ndings will provide very credible inputs for the
requisite management decision about the revision of the
procedure.
These approaches to critical review are ranked in terms of
increasing credibility of the results. When selecting between
them, management must weigh costs against benefi ts,
comparing the costs of increasing rigor to the benefi ts of
increasing credibility of the fi ndings.
8
Typically, the approach
