Final answer:
A new patient is typically defined as someone who has not seen the provider or a provider of the same specialty within a specific period, often one to three years. The provided information does not contain the exact period for a new patient definition, and the scenario focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of a new medication for patients.
Step-by-step explanation:
In medical terminology, a new patient is an individual who has not received any services from the same provider, or a provider of the same specialty within the same practice, for a certain period. Depending on specific guidelines and contexts, this period may vary. The provided information does not directly define the period that classifies a new patient. Typically, in many healthcare systems, a new patient is one who has not been seen by the provider or a provider of the same specialty within the practice for a span of one to three years. This period allows for a clear differentiation between new and established patients.
In the given scenario, we are examining the effectiveness of a new preventative medication in reducing the incidence of a disease among patients with the same risk factors. Over a four-year period, 45 out of 224 patients in the treatment group developed the disease, compared to 68 out of 224 in the control group. This data can be used to perform a statistical test, such as a chi-square test, to determine if the treatment significantly reduces the disease incidence.