The thresholds for statistical and clinical significance - a five-step procedure for evaluation of intervention effects in randomised clinical trials.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Thresholds for statistical significance are insufficiently demonstrated by 95% confidence intervals or P-values when assessing results from randomised clinical trials. First, a P-value only shows the probability of getting a result assuming that the null hypothesis is true and does not reflect the probability of getting a result assuming an alternative hypothesis to the null hypothesis is true. Second, a confidence interval or a P-value showing significance may be caused by multiplicity. Third, statistical significance does not necessarily result in clinical significance. Therefore, assessment of intervention effects in randomised clinical trials deserves more rigour in order to become more valid.

Methods

Several methodologies for assessing the statistical and cli

SUBMITTER: Jakobsen JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4015863 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature