A Brief Introduction to Biostatistics

(C. Jardin) #1

Statistical significance vs.


clinical significance



  • We should not be obsessed with carrying out test
    of significance. Sometimes a statistically
    significant result can have little or no clinical
    significance

  • Example: Given large sample sizes, a difference
    in 5 beats per minutes in pulse rate in a clinical
    trial involving two drugs can give a statistically
    significant difference when the average
    difference may hardly bring about a drastic
    metabolic change between the two groups

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