Assessing associations in observational studies
In this blog, Leonardo provides 5 interpretations that you should consider when you read or hear about a reported association in observational studies.
In this blog, Leonardo provides 5 interpretations that you should consider when you read or hear about a reported association in observational studies.
This is the fourteenth blog in a series of 34 blogs explaining 34 key concepts we need to be able to understand to think critically about treatment claims.
This blog explains that if people in the treatment comparison groups differ in ways other than the treatments being compared, the apparent effects of the treatments might reflect those differences rather than actual treatment effects. A method such as allocating people to different treatments by assigning them random numbers (the equivalent of flipping a coin) is the best way to ensure that the groups being compared are similar in terms of both measured and unmeasured characteristics.
This is the fourth in a series of 34 blogs explaining 34 key concepts we need to be able to understand to think critically about treatment claims.
This blog explains that treatments that have not been properly evaluated but are widely used or have been used for a long time are often assumed to work. Sometimes, however, they may be unsafe or of doubtful benefit.
This is the second in a series of 34 blogs explaining 34 key concepts we need to be able to understand to think critically about treatment claims.
This blog explains that claims about the effects of a treatment may be misleading if they are based on stories about how a treatment helped individual people, or if those stories attribute improvements to treatments that have not been assessed in systematic reviews of fair comparisons.
Introducing a new series of 36 blogs from Students 4 Best Evidence. This series is based on a list of 36 ‘Key Concepts’ developed by an Informed Health Choices project team. These 36 ‘Key Concepts’ are things we need to understand to appraise treatment claims.
Since the beginning of their partnership, the media and medical research have endured a rocky relationship, with many questioning their current compatibility. But what does the future hold for these two?
This blog uses 3 examples to demonstrate that, even though there may be an association between two events or variables, this does not mean that one has caused the other.
This blog is the joint winner of our 2017 student competition to win free registration to the Cochrane UK & Ireland symposium 2017.
Here are 34 key concepts that are crucial to understand to be able to critically appraise the claims that people make about treatments. And here are lots of resources that explain each key concept. Students, we need your help reviewing them!
We’re holding a competition for a student based in the UK or Ireland to attend the 2017 annual Cochrane UK & Ireland symposium for free. Competition deadline: 31st January 2017. The symposium is in Oxford on the 14th & 15th March 2017.
Managing hypertension is complex, involves lifestyle modifications such as physical activity and dietary interventions, as well as drugs. Here, we highlight the evidence from Cochrane about which drug is better as a first-line therapy.
This week the media picked up on health risks associated with consumption of fizzy drinks – the Scots among us may use the term ‘fizzy juice’; I call it ‘pop’. Perhaps an example of my own personal bias, I thoroughly expected these articles to be riddled with inaccuracies; maybe they would even go so far as to claim a causal link with cancer. Though by no means perfect, I was pleasantly surprised with the content of these pieces, ran by
The ‘Health in the Media’ feature is back! Iodine deficiency has been linked to poor thyroid function and weight gain, but did the Daily Mail dish out helpful advice on where to find dietary iodine?
Kendall Jenner is among numerous celebs to attribute their svelte physiques to so-called detox tea – but can tea really help you detox and lose weight?
Angel takes a look at the new guide on allergies from Sense About Science.