Create a free account
Join Calaméo to publish and share documents with the world!
Rate and comment your favorite publications, download documents and share your readings with your friends.
Translating statistical findings into plain English
2 pages
Published by
raf
Copyright :
All rights reserved
Comment
www.
thelancet.
com Published online April 16, 2009 DOI:10.
1016/S0140-6736(09)60499-2 1
Translating statistical findings into plain English
Clinical trial reports usually give estimates of treatment
effects, their confidence...
[More]
Comment
www.
thelancet.
com Published online April 16, 2009 DOI:10.
1016/S0140-6736(09)60499-2 1
Translating statistical findings into plain English
Clinical trial reports usually give estimates of treatment
effects, their confidence intervals, and p values.
The
statistical methods and their technical meaning are
well established.
There is less clarity about the concise
interpretative wording that authors should use,
especially in the abstract and conclusions and by others
in commentaries.
The following guidance assumes that
one short sentence needs to capture the essence of a
trial’s findings for the primary endpoint.
Various scenarios can arise (figure).
Scenario A has
the treatment effect very highly statistically significant
(p<0·001); in, for example, the comparison of
everolimus with placebo for progression-free survival
in advanced renal-cell carcinoma.
1
Such strong evidence
provides proof of treatment efficacy beyond reasonable
doubt, justifying the statement “everolimus prolongs
[Less]
Tags
confidence,
difference,
doubt,
endpoint,
evidence,
efficacy,
inconclusive,
inferiority,
life,
primary,
scenario,
statistical,
superior,
treatment,
trial,
trials,
true
