Title: Advantages of confidence intervals in clinical research - Redorbit
Headings: Advantages of confidence intervals in clinical research
Advantages of confidence intervals in clinical research
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Content: Advantages of confidence intervals in clinical research - Redorbit
Advantages of confidence intervals in clinical research
Clinical research often uses techniques of statistical inference to determine the ‘statistical significance’ of the results, that is, how likely is it that the results obtained by the research methods may be ascribed to chance, rather than some effect of an intervention. Similar methods are also used in epidemiologic studies of risk factors to identify associations between exposure to the risk factor (s) and a disease or other health-related outcome. Even in descriptive studies, statistical inference may be used to identify differences between subgroups in the population that is being described. Inferences are often drawn, and statistical significance established by using a method known as hypothesis testing. A research hypothesis is established-usually stating that there is some difference between or among the groups studied-and the observed data are analyzed in order to decide whether to accept or reject the corresponding null hypothesis of no difference. Hypothesis testing has become de rigueur in clinical research, but its value as a primary means of analysis has been questioned.1-4 The purpose of this paper is to describe confidence intervals (CIs) as a statistical tool in clinical research and explain their utility as an alternative to hypothesis testing. CONVENTIONAL USES OF HYPOTHESIS TESTING
Hypothesis testing results in a yes-no decision regarding the authenticity of the research findings. The decision to accept or reject the null hypothesis is based on a statistical test that yields a probability (the p-value) that the observed results are attributable to chance, in other words, random variation. The calculated p-value is compared to a probability value, alpha, which is traditionally set at .05. If the calculated p-value is less than alpha, the null hypothesis is rejected in favor of the alternative hypothesis.