Common pitfalls in statistical analysis: Clinical versus statistical significance

Abstract

In clinical research, study results, which are statistically significant are often interpreted as being clinically important. While statistical significance indicates the reliability of the study results, clinical significance reflects its impact on clinical practice. The third article in this series exploring pitfalls in statistical analysis clarifies the importance of differentiating between statistical significance and clinical significance.

Keywords

• Biostatistics
• confidence intervals
• data interpretation
• statistical