Epidemiological appraisal of studies of residential exposure to power frequency magnetic fields and adult cancers. Li CY, Theriault G, Lin RS. Occup Environ Med 1996: 53(8); 505-10. [Medline]
Thirst, interdialytic weight gain, and thirst-interventions in hemodialysis patients: a literature review. Mistiaen P. Nephrol Nurs J 2001: 28(6); 601-4, 610-3; quiz 614-5. [Medline]
MR findings in humeral epicondylitis. A systematic review. Pasternack I, Tuovinen EM, Lohman M, Vehmas T, Malmivaara A. Acta Radiol 2001: 42(5); 434-40. [Medline]
The ethics of tiny trials. Phillips B. Arch Dis Child 2002: 87(3); 258. [Medline]
Epidemiology of silicone-related disease. Swan SH. Semin Arthritis Rheum 1994: 24(1 Suppl 1); 38-43. [Medline]
Distinguishing between "no evidence of effect" and "evidence of no effect" in randomised controlled trials and other comparisons. Tarnow-Mordi WO, Healy M. Arch Dis Child 1999: 80(3); 210-213. [Full text] [PDF]
Cost effectiveness calculations and sample size. Torgerson DJ, Campbell MK. BMJ 2000: 321697. [Full text] [PDF]
Elevated blood lead levels in children of construction workers. Whelan E, Piacitelli G, Gerwel B, Schnorr T, Mueller C, Gittleman J, Matte T. American Journal of Public Health 1997: 87(8); 1352-55.
Overview
Is it clinically significant? Erill S. Lancet 2002: 359(9318); 1708. [Full text] [PDF]
Efficacy, safety, and cost of new anticancer drugs. Garattini S, Bertele V. British Medical Journal 2002: 325(7358); 269-71. [Medline] [Full text] [PDF]
Clinical versus statistical considerations in the design and analysis of clinical research. Horwitz RI, Singer BH, Makuch RW, Viscoli CM. J Clin Epidemiol 1998: 51(4); 305-7. [Medline]
Why randomized controlled trials fail but needn't: 2. Failure to employ physiological statistics, or the only formula a clinician-trialist is ever likely to need (or understand!). Sackett DL. Cmaj 2001: 165(9); 1226-37. [Medline] [Full text] [PDF]
Pain Example
Clinically significant changes in pain along the visual analog scale. Bird SB, Dickson EW. Ann Emerg Med 2001: 38(6); 639-43. [Medline]
The visual analog scale for pain: clinical significance in postoperative patients. Bodian CA, Freedman G, Hossain S, Eisenkraft JB, Beilin Y. Anesthesiology 2001: 95(6); 1356-61. [Medline]
Does the clinically significant difference in visual analog scale pain scores vary with gender, age, or cause of pain? Kelly AM. Acad Emerg Med 1998: 5(11); 1086-90. [Medline]
A proposal to use confidence intervals for visual analog scale data for pain measurement to determine clinical significance. Mantha S, Thisted R, Foss J, Ellis JE, Roizen MF. Anesth Analg 1993: 77(5); 1041-7. [Medline]
Determining the minimum clinically significant difference in visual analog pain score for children. Powell CV, Kelly AM, Williams A. Ann Emerg Med 2001: 37(1); 28-31. [Medline]
A randomized controlled trial of fentanyl for abortion pain. Rawling MJ, Wiebe ER. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2001: 185(1); 103-7. [Medline]
Clinical utility and clinical significance in the assessment and management of pain in vulnerable infants. Stevens B, Gibbins S. Clin Perinatol 2002: 29(3); 459-68. [Medline]
Minimum clinically significant VAS differences for simultaneous (paired) interval serial pain assessments. Yamamoto LG, Nomura JT, Sato RL, Ahern RM, Snow JL, Kuwaye TT. Am J Emerg Med 2003: 21(3); 176-9. [Medline] [Abstract]
Particularizing
Making consent patient centred. Bridson J, Hammond C, Leach A, Chester MR. BMJ 2003: 327(7424); 1159-1161. [Full text] [PDF]
Changes in clinical trials mandated by the advent of meta-analysis. Chalmers TC, Lau J. Stat Med 1996: 15(12); 1263-8; discussion 1269-72. [Medline]
Applying the results of trials and systematic reviews to individual patients. Glasziou P, Guyatt GH, Dans AL, Dans LF, Straus S, Sackett DL. ACP Journal Club 1998: 129(3); A15-6. [Medline]
Can treatment that is helpful on average be harmful to some patients? A study of the conflicting information needs of clinical inquiry and drug regulation. Horwitz RI, Singer BH, Makuch RW, Viscoli CM. J Clin Epidemiol 1996: 49(4); 395-400. [Medline]
Decision analysis and the implementation of research findings. Lilford RJ, Pauker SG, Braunholtz DA, Chard J. British Medical Journal 1998: 317(7155); 405-9. [Medline] [Full text]
Variation in patient utilities for outcomes of the management of chronic stable angina. Implications for clinical practice guidelines. Ischemic Heart Disease Patient Outcomes Research Team. Nease RF, Kneeland T, O'Connor GT, Sumner W, Lumpkins C, Shaw L, Pryor D, Sox HC. Jama 1995: 273(15); 1185-90.
Recombinant or urinary follicle-stimulating hormone? A cost-effectiveness analysis derived by particularizing the number needed to treat from a published meta-analysis. Ola B, Papaioannou S, Afnan MA, Hammadieh N, Gimba S. Fertil Steril 2001: 75(6); 1106-10. [Medline]
Pronouncements about the need for "generalizability" of randomized controlled trial results are humbug. Sackett DL. Control. Clinical Trials 2000: 2182S.
Conflicting clinical trials and the uncertainty of treating mild hypertension. Toth PJ, Horwitz RI. Am J Med 1983: 75(3); 482-8. [Medline]
QOL Example
Interpreting thresholds for
