Can measurements show if a treatment works?

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• Format Texts
• Language/s Deutsch, English
• Target Audience Further education, Self-directed learning
• EBM Stage 3 - Appraising evidence
• Duration <5 mins
• Difficulty Introductory

Key Concepts addressed

• 3-2a Do the outcomes measured matter to you?
• 1-2b Explanations about how treatments work can be wrong
• 1-2c Association is not the same as causation

Details

This article discusses errors to avoid when testing treatments.

In the 1980s, millions of people had treatment with drugs intended to prevent sudden cardiac death. But it later turned out that the exact opposite happened: The drugs caused more people to die. What went wrong, and what can we learn from this experience?

Read the article here