General MedicineTier 2Topic

Key features of clinical trial design - statistical significance

Definition

  • Statistical significance (conventionally p<0.05) indicates a result is unlikely to have arisen by chance alone under the null hypothesis, but is a distinct concept from clinical significance (whether the effect magnitude is large enough to matter practically to patients) - trial design and reporting should address both considerations, not statistical significance alone
  • A foundational trial design and reporting consideration, given the well-recognised risk of conflating statistical and clinical significance in both research reporting and clinical interpretation

4 more sections, plus exam facts

Premium unlocks every note across every specialty, and the full exam fact library behind it.

Get premium access