Tips for understanding Absolute vs. Relative Risk

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• Format Texts
• Language/s English
• Target Audience Self-directed learning
• EBM Stage 3 - Appraising evidence
• Duration <5 mins
• Difficulty Intermediate

Key Concepts addressed

• 2-3b Relative measures of effects can be misleading

Details

Radio commentator Paul Harvey had a feature called “The Rest of the Story.” Researchers, clinicians or journalists who report only on relative differences in making claims about a new idea should tell the rest of the story. It is absolute differences that probably matter most to most people trying to make sense out of such claims.

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