Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance Essay

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Since it is the primary goal of all medical studies to be able to apply findings to other populations, it is important to eliminate the possibility of misleading results. For this purpose, statistical significance is used. It implements mathematical deductive logic to calculate the probability that the results obtained during the research are not chance findings and will be repeated if the experiment is conducted again. Generally, it depends on the sample size: the bigger it is, the more chances there are that the results are real. Statistical significance is expressed as a probability (p), which is conventionally set at 0.05. This implies that the results of the research can be called statistically significant only under the condition that the compatibility with the null hypothesis is small (Chung & Storey, 2014).

In contrast, clinical significance answers whether the difference between the old and the new way of treatment found as a result of the study is substantial enough to recommend altering the old practice. There are cases when the improvement in therapy is insufficient to be a grounded cause for changing the clinical approach (Chambrone & Armitage, 2016).

Yet, the study can be clinically significant even if the null hypothesis could not be rejected. For instance, if two types of drugs are tested and it is found out that the new one produces the same effect as the old one, there are still differences in practice. It may be so that the new one is more affordable to patients or produce fewer side effects, which means that although they are the same, the new drug can be recommended as a substitution.

If the credibility of the results from a qualitative study is questioned, they are still clinically significant. For example, it may be unclear if music produces a positive effect on people suffering from depression. On the other hand, it is clear that it is soothing and never leads to an aggravation of the condition. Thus, it may mean that this therapy may be applied in clinical settings.

References

Chambrone, L., & Armitage, G. C. (2016). Commentary: Statistical significance versus clinical relevance in periodontal research: Implications for clinical practice. Journal of Periodontology, 87(6), 613-616. Web.

Chung, N. C., & Storey, J. D. (2014). Statistical significance of variables driving systematic variation in high-dimensional data. Bioinformatics, 31(4), 545-554. Web.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, July 25). Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance. https://ivypanda.com/essays/statistical-significance-versus-clinical-relevance/

Work Cited

"Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance." IvyPanda, 25 July 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/statistical-significance-versus-clinical-relevance/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance'. 25 July.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance." July 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/statistical-significance-versus-clinical-relevance/.

1. IvyPanda. "Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance." July 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/statistical-significance-versus-clinical-relevance/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Relevance." July 25, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/statistical-significance-versus-clinical-relevance/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1