Insights into Clinical Trial Interpretation

摘要

Of the many things we are exposed to in our medical training, very few of us have had any formal training in how to read and review a scientific article. We are often too busy to read past the conclusions of an abstract so, if we are really interested, we may spend the extra few minutes necessary to read the methods and results that are summarized in the abstract. Is there any merit in carefully reading the article? How does one interpret a good study? For many, the merits of an article are obvious when an article is read. However, for many individuals, the interpretation, analysis, and how to apply an article to everyday practice remains an enigma. In this educational monograph, I will provide some background and tips on recognizing quality articles that describe the results of clinical trials. We will expand on these issues and more in our educational session, with a focused effort as it applies to gastrointestinal oncology.