Evidence-based Medicine
Eight Tips for using Twitter during health-related conferences
19 Jun, 2017 | 12:51h | UTCEight Tips for using Twitter during health-related conferences (free JPG) (RT @gmacscotland see Tweet)
New science data-sharing rules are two scoops of disappointment
19 Jun, 2017 | 12:48h | UTCOpinion: New science data-sharing rules are two scoops of disappointment – STAT News (free)
Editorial: Data Sharing Statements for Clinical Trials — A Requirement of the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (free)
Challenges in Opening and Enrolling Patients in Clinical Trials
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:25h | UTCChallenges in Opening and Enrolling Patients in Clinical Trials – 2017 ASCO Educational Book (free)
Anecdotes are unreliable evidence
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:08h | UTCAnecdotes are unreliable evidence – Students 4 Best Evidence (free)
This is the second in a series of 34 blogs based on a list of ‘Key Concepts’ developed by an Informed Health Choices project team.
Treatments can harm
16 Jun, 2017 | 01:08h | UTCTreatments can harm – Students 4 Best Evidence (free)
This is the first in a series of 34 blogs based on a list of ‘Key Concepts’ developed by an Informed Health Choices project team.
Machine Learning Versus Standard Techniques for Updating Searches for Systematic Reviews
16 Jun, 2017 | 00:54h | UTCMachine Learning Versus Standard Techniques for Updating Searches for Systematic Reviews: A Diagnostic Accuracy Study – Annals of Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full-text)
Commentary: Artificial intelligence may help doctors keep up with new research – Reuters (free)
“Machine-learning fed by citations of a systematic saved a ton of time for updating it, didn’t miss important studies” (RT @hildabast see Tweet)
Number needed to treat (NNT) in clinical literature
13 Jun, 2017 | 20:10h | UTCNumber needed to treat (NNT) in clinical literature: an appraisal – BMC Medicine (free)
A real-world approach to Evidence-Based Medicine in general practice
13 Jun, 2017 | 20:09h | UTC
Dozens of recent clinical trials may contain wrong or falsified data
7 Jun, 2017 | 15:19h | UTCCommentaries: Dozens of recent clinical trials may contain wrong or falsified data, claims study – The Guardian (free) AND Two in 100 clinical trials in eight major journals likely contain inaccurate data: Study – Retraction Watch (free)
Data Sharing Statements for Clinical Trials
7 Jun, 2017 | 15:09h | UTC
Multiple outcomes and analyses in clinical trials create challenges for interpretation and research synthesis
7 Jun, 2017 | 15:01h | UTC“RCTs included hundreds of outcomes and results; a small proportion were in public reports. Trialists and meta-analysts may cherry-pick what they report from multiple sources of RCT information.” (RT @hildabast see Tweet)
A manifesto for reproducible Science
4 Jun, 2017 | 19:11h | UTCA manifesto for reproducible Science – Nature Human Behaviour (free)
Research transparency: 5 questions about open science answered
2 Jun, 2017 | 18:37h | UTCResearch transparency: 5 questions about open science answered – The Conversation (free)
Health Policy Trials
2 Jun, 2017 | 18:40h | UTCHealth Policy Trials: The Changing Face of Clinical Trials – New England Journal of Medicine (free)
Diagnosis creep: the new problem in medicine
30 May, 2017 | 15:30h | UTCDiagnosis creep: the new problem in medicine – MJA Insight (free)
Related: How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick – The Conversation (free)
What is a Systematic Review?
30 May, 2017 | 15:29h | UTCUpdated tutorial: What is a Systematic Review? – PubMed Health (free) (RT @hildabast)
Science Needs a Solution for the Temptation of Positive Results
30 May, 2017 | 15:31h | UTCScience Needs a Solution for the Temptation of Positive Results – The New York Times (10 articles per month are free)
Joint statement on public disclosure of results from clinical trials – World Health Organization
19 May, 2017 | 17:58h | UTCJoint statement on public disclosure of results from clinical trials – World Health Organization (free)
News release: Major research funders and international NGOs to implement WHO standards on reporting clinical trial results (free)
Commentary: Industry leaders agree to implement UN agency’s standards on clinical trial reporting – United Nations News Centre (free)
“Funders of medical research & international NGOs to implement WHO standards on reporting clinical trial results”. “Today, on average 50% of Clinical Trials go unreported, according to several studies, often because the results are negative”. “Unreported trial results leave an incomplete & potentially misleading picture of the risks & benefits of vaccines, drugs and medical devices” (see Tweets)
How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick
17 May, 2017 | 20:19h | UTCViewpoint: How to rein in the widening disease definitions that label more healthy people as sick – The Conversation (free)
Countering cognitive biases in minimizing low value care
12 May, 2017 | 19:34h | UTCReview: Countering cognitive biases in minimizing low value care – The Medical Journal of Australia (free)
“How cognitive bias affects clinical decision making and what to do about it. Well written & useful” (RT @carissa_bon and @JulieLeask see Tweet)
Cardiac Patients in Trials Don’t Reflect Real-World Populations – MedPage Today
6 May, 2017 | 20:39h | UTCResearch letter: Applicability of the IMPROVE-IT Trial to Current Patients With Acute Coronary Syndrome – JAMA Internal Medicine (link to abstract – $ for full text)
Source: Cardiac Patients in Trials Don’t Reflect Real-World Populations – MedPage Today (free registration required)
Related: Exclusion of patients with concomitant chronic conditions in ongoing randomised controlled trials targeting 10 common chronic conditions and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov: a systematic review of registration details – BMJ Open (free) AND Do cancer clinical trials exaggerate the real-world benefits of drugs? – STAT News (free)
Patients in clinical trials are often younger, healthier (with less comorbidities), better plugged in to the health care system, better educated and wealthier, indicating that the external validity or generalizability of much of the current evidence to real-world settings may be relatively weak.
As scientists take to Twitter, study shows power of ‘visual abstract’ graphics
4 May, 2017 | 20:16h | UTCAs scientists take to Twitter, study shows power of ‘visual abstract’ graphics – Scienmag (free) (RT @jdimick1 @UM_IHPI)
Have a look: Example of visual abstract and its benefits for engagement (Tweet)
Original article ($ for full-text): Visual Abstracts to Disseminate Research on Social Media: A Prospective, Case-control Crossover Study – Annals of Surgery
See also: an open-source primer on visual abstracts (free)
This new tendency might increase engagement with medical research.
Statistical significance vs. clinical significance
24 Apr, 2017 | 15:26h | UTCShort review: Statistical significance vs. clinical significance – Students 4 Best Evidence Blog (free) (RT @CochraneUK see Tweet)
Related review: Reporting the findings: Absolute vs relative risk – HealthNewsReview (free) (See Tweet)
Too many studies have hidden conflicts of interest. A new tool makes it easier to see them
21 Apr, 2017 | 15:17h | UTCToo many studies have hidden conflicts of interest. A new tool makes it easier to see them – VOX (free)
“Great news: PubMed is finally publishing info about funding sources/conflicts of interest on its abstracts” (RT @paimadhu and @juliaoftorontosee Tweet)
Initiative aims to break science’s citation paywall
7 Apr, 2017 | 15:45h | UTCNow free: citation data from 14 million papers, and more might come – Science (free) (RT @robertkiley see Tweet) AND Initiative aims to break science’s citation paywall – Nature Breaking News (free) AND Global Coalition Pushes for Unrestricted Sharing of Scholarly Citation Data – Creative Commons (free) AND Initiative for Open Citations – I4OC (free)
Open Science, Open Access and Open Data gaining momentum.