Healthy Skepticism Library item: 15567

Warning: This library includes all items relevant to health product marketing that we are aware of regardless of quality. Often we do not agree with all or part of the contents.

Publication type: Journal Article

Pocock SJ, Ware JH.
Translating statistical findings into plain English
The Lancet 2009 Apr 16;
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60499-2/fulltext

Abstract:

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 a …