My Journey Through the TNMGRMU AYUSH Research & Biostatistics Workshop 2025

Speaker: Dr. N. Kabilan (Prof & HoD, DoS, TNMGRMU)

Dr. Kabilan's opening address was a powerful reminder of our responsibility as AYUSH practitioners to contribute to the scientific validation and evolution of our systems. Key highlights:

• The "Why" of AYUSH Research : Beyond academic necessity, it's about enhancing patient care, informing policy, and ensuring AYUSH systems earn their rightful place in integrative healthcare.
• AYUSH Systems - A Tapestry of Healing : Celebrated the unique philosophies of each system while underscoring the common thread of holistic, patient-centered care, with Homoeopathy's individualized approach as a prime example.
• The Imperative of Interdisciplinary Synergy : Advocated for "breaking silos" – robust collaborations with conventional medicine, basic sciences, and even social sciences to tackle complex health challenges.

Speaker: Dr. Maanasa Rajagopalan (NIE)

Dr. Maanasa brilliantly demystified the art of formulating a research question – the cornerstone of any study.

Speaker: Ms. Sandhya Bharathi (SRMC)

Ms. Sandhya equipped us with a veritable arsenal for conquering the literature review:

Speaker: Ms. Sivaranjani

Ms. Sivaranjani emphasized that a questionnaire is a precision instrument; its design dictates data quality.

• Question Types : When to use open-ended (rich qualitative data) vs. closed-ended (quantifiable, easier analysis). Nuances of Likert scales, semantic differentials.
• The "Don'ts" of Wording: Avoid jargon, ambiguity, double-barreled questions (e.g., "Is the remedy effective and safe?"), leading questions. Clarity is king!
• Logical Flow & Aesthetics: Start broad, then specific. Group similar items. Make it visually appealing.
• Pilot Testing - The Unskippable Step: Test on a small, similar sample to catch confusing items, estimate time, and refine.

The hands-on exercise of drafting a questionnaire for our own topics was particularly illuminating.

Speaker: Dr. Vasantha (NIRT, ICMR)

Dr. Vasantha masterfully broke down foundational statistical concepts, focusing on intuition over complex formulae.

Speaker: Dr. K.S. Uma (TNMGRMU)

Dr. Uma's session was a profound exploration of the ethical bedrock upon which all credible research must stand.

• Historical Echoes : The Tuskegee Syphilis Study wasn't just a historical event but a stark reminder of why ethical oversight (Nuremberg, Helsinki, Belmont) is paramount. Its 40-year duration for a supposed 6-month study underscores the potential for egregious breaches.
• Pillars of Ethics: Autonomy (true informed consent), Beneficence (do good), Non-maleficence (do no harm), Justice (fairness in selection/benefits).
• IEC/IRB – Your Ethical Partner: Not a hurdle, but a collaborative body to ensure research integrity.
• Informed Consent Nuances: Beyond a signature – ensuring comprehension, voluntariness, especially for vulnerable groups.
• AYUSH Ethical Considerations: Sensitive handling of traditional knowledge, placebo rationale in Homoeopathy, ensuring community benefit.

Speaker: Dr. A. Vigneswari (SRMC)

Dr. Vigneswari skillfully navigated the landscape of research designs, emphasizing that the choice is dictated by the research question and feasibility.

Speaker: Dr. Premalatha

Dr. Premalatha underscored the protocol as the non-negotiable blueprint for any research endeavor.

• Protocol's Purpose : Ensures clarity, reproducibility, ethical adherence, and serves as a guide for the entire team.
• Essential Components: Detailed breakdown of Title, Abstract, Intro/Rationale, Objectives, Methodology (Design, Population, Sampling, Sample Size, Intervention details if any, Data Collection tools & plan, Statistical Analysis plan, Timeline/Gantt Chart is vital in methodology), Ethical considerations, Budget (if applicable), Dissemination strategy.
• Concept Paper: The "elevator pitch" – a concise summary for initial approvals or grant feelers.
• Golden Rule of Writing: "Clarity and Simplicity." Dr. Premalatha's advice that "80 pages is enough" for a dissertation resonated, emphasizing focus over verbosity.

Speaker: Dr. T. Prabha (Nandha College)

Dr. Prabha focused on the robust methodology of interventional studies, particularly Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs).

• RCT Pillars : The trifecta of Randomization (eliminating selection bias), appropriate Control group (placebo, active, usual care), and careful Intervention manipulation.
• Randomization Techniques : From Simple to Block (e.g., for the Helonias intervention study, block randomization ensures balanced groups over time), Stratified (for known confounders), and Cluster randomization.
• Blinding/Masking : Single, Double, Triple-blind designs to minimize performance and detection bias. Open-label for feasibility in some contexts.
• Clinical Trial Phases (Brief): Phase I (Safety), II (Efficacy & Dosing), III (Confirmation & Comparison), IV (Post-marketing surveillance).
• CONSORT Statement: The essential checklist for transparent and complete reporting of RCTs.
• Homoeopathic RCTs: Addressing challenges like individualization (pragmatic trials, n-of-1), appropriate placebo design, and defining meaningful outcomes.

Speaker: Dr. E. Rajalakshmi (TANCAM)

Dr. Rajalakshmi introduced the crucial field of research that focuses on "making things work" in real-world public health settings.

• The "How-To" Research : Identifying and addressing bottlenecks in delivering health interventions effectively. Moving from "does it work?" (efficacy) to "how can we make it work here?" (effectiveness/implementation).
• Key Areas for AYUSH: Improving accessibility of Homoeopathic clinics, enhancing patient adherence to treatment, ensuring quality of AYUSH services, integrating AYUSH into mainstream public health programs.
• Methodological Toolkit: Often employs mixed-methods (surveys, interviews, focus groups, routine data analysis), participatory action research, and quality improvement cycles (PDSA - Plan-Do-Study-Act).
• Example Cycle: Problem Identification Solution Co-design Pilot Implementation Monitoring & Evaluation Refinement & Scale-up.

Speaker: Ms. Abarna

Ms. Abarna demystified the often-daunting task of sample size calculation, emphasizing its critical role in study validity.

• Why Size Matters : Too small = risk of Type II error (missing a real effect) & low power. Too large = resource wastage & unethical exposure of participants.

• Key Ingredients for Calculation:
  • Desired Effect Size (clinically meaningful difference).
  • Alpha (α) level (typically 0.05).
  • Power (1-β) (typically 0.80 or 0.90).
  • Variability of the outcome measure (e.g., standard deviation).
  • Study design specifics.
• The Logical Flow: Research Question Primary Objective Study Design Key Variables & Outcome Sample Size Calculation.
• Helpful Tools : Software like G*Power (often demonstrated), online calculators, modules in SPSS, R.
• Practical Considerations: Always account for anticipated dropout/attrition by inflating the initial estimate. Feasibility is paramount.
• Quick Stats Software Recap: SPSS, SAS, R, Python, WinNonlin – each with its strengths.

Speaker: Dr. E. Rajalakshmi (TANCAM)

Dr. Rajalakshmi empowered us to move from passive readers to active, critical evaluators of scientific literature.

• The "Why" of Appraisal : To assess validity (truthfulness), reliability (consistency), and applicability of research findings to our practice or further research.

• Structured Questioning (e.g., CASP Checklists):
  • Is the research question clear and focused?
  • Was the study design appropriate for the question? (e.g., RCT for intervention efficacy)
  • Were methods to minimize bias employed (randomization, blinding)?
  • Are results clearly presented? Is the P-value interpreted correctly (probability of observed difference by chance if H0 is true)?
  • What about the Confidence Interval (CI)? (A narrow CI indicates more precise results; a wide CI suggests more uncertainty/vagueness. The range of values within which the true effect likely lies).
  • Are conclusions justified by the data? Are limitations acknowledged?
• Recognizing Biases: Selection, performance, detection, attrition, reporting – understanding how they can skew results.

Speaker: Dr. Prabhu

Dr. Prabhu emphasized that meticulous data collection and management are the bedrock of trustworthy research.

Speaker: Dr. E.M. Manikgantan (TNMGRMU)

Dr. Manikgantan provided a clear roadmap for structuring and writing a successful dissertation.

• Purpose & Audience : Demonstrating research competence, contributing original knowledge, communicating effectively to peers and examiners.

• The IMRaD Core (and beyond):
  • Title Page, Abstract, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents
  • Introduction: Background, problem statement, rationale, research question/objectives.
  • Literature Review: Critical synthesis of existing knowledge, identifying gaps.
  • Methodology: Detailed account of design, setting, participants, sampling, data collection, tools, ethical considerations, statistical plan (written in past tense after completion).
  • Results: Objective presentation of findings (text, tables, figures) without interpretation (past tense).
  • Discussion: Interpretation of results, comparison with literature, strengths, limitations, implications, future directions.
  • Conclusion: Summary of key findings and their significance.
  • References, Appendices.
• Writing Style: Formal, objective, precise, clear, concise. Consistent terminology. Adherence to university guidelines.
• Practical Tips: Create a detailed outline. Write regularly. Seek feedback often from your supervisor. Edit and proofread ruthlessly. ~80 pages is a good guideline for focused work.

Speaker: Dr. Ganesh Lakshmanan (Asan memorial DC)

Dr. Lakshmanan provided invaluable, Homoeopathy-specific insights into conducting meaningful research.

Speaker: Dr. M.S. Shreedevi (MD (Siddha), PhD)

Dr. Shreedevi demystified the often-intimidating process of getting research published.