Testing Treatments Quiz

How often do doctors do more good than harm?

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Does belief in the effects of a treatment influence the likelihood that those effects will be experienced?

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What is the likelihood, on average, of a new treatment being better than an existing, standard treatment?

In a study to assess the effects of a new antiviral agent for flu-like illness, 100 people were given the new drug.

One week later the researchers observed that 90 of the 100 people were better.

What were the researchers justified in concluding?

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In a fair comparison of two treatments, patients are allocated at random so that:

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Placebos are useful in clinical trials:

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In a small randomized double-blind trial of a new treatment for heart attacks, the number of patients receiving the new treatment who died was half the number who died in the comparison group, but the difference was not statistically significant.

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Study results are often given together with “confidence intervals”, for example, that 40% ± 5% of people (i.e. a confidence interval from 35% to 45%) suffer depression after experiencing a stroke.

Which of the following statements about a confidence interval is correct?

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A “systematic review” of the reports of clinical trials is a synthesis of research addressing a specific question. Such systematic reviews have the following features:

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When you are checking whether a review of research on a specific treatment is trustworthy, which questions should you ask?

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What should you believe when some fair tests of a treatment suggest one thing about its effects and other fair tests suggest different effects?

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When people receive a treatment as part of a research project, do they run a greater or a lower risk compared with others who receive the same treatment outside research?

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In a placebo-controlled trial of new drug, Kuritol, 8% of those allocated to Kuritol died compared to 12% allocated to the placebo.

What percent of people given placebo survived?

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In a placebo-controlled trial of new drug, Kuritol, 8% of those allocated to Kuritol died compared to 12% allocated to the placebo.

There are different ways to compare the survival in the two groups. Can you work out which is correct?

The difference in the likelihood of death for patients given Kuritol is:

In a placebo-controlled trial of new drug, Kuritol, 8% of those allocated to Kuritol died compared to 12% allocated to the placebo.

The relative reduction in the likelihood of death with Kuritol is:

In a placebo-controlled trial of new drug, Kuritol, 8% of those allocated to Kuritol died compared to 12% allocated to the placebo.

How many similar patients need to be treated with Kuritol to prevent one of them dying?

If you’re invited to participate in research to test treatments, which of these conditions should you insist be met before you decide whether or not to participate?

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