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Statistical Significance Versus Clinical Significance

Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina

David A. Stump, PhD

Department of Anesthesiology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, dstump{at}wfubmc.edu

Unfortunately, the data were statistically nonsignificant due to insufficient power and poor experimental design. Conversely, many large clinical trials obtain a high level of statistical significance with miniscule differences between groups, which are completely clinically irrelevant. However, with proper marketing, billions can be made from results of dubious clinical importance. In this article, the differences between statistical and clinical significance are briefly discussed.

Key Words: statistical significance testing • clinical significance

This version was published on March 1, 2008

Seminars in Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, Vol. 12, No. 1, 5-6 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/1089253208316440


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