Almost every topic in medicine has been the subject of at least one clinical trial. Articles publicizing the findings of these trials fill the pages of scholarly journals. However, just because something has been published doesn’t mean it’s always right, and that is evidenced by how different the findings can be in seemingly similar trials.
So how do you decide which evidence is best? Does a meta-analysis really give you a comprehensive picture? What’s the difference between case series and case-control studies? Perhaps most importantly, do the numbers tell the truth? Two new library books provide some clear, readable answers.
On the New Books shelf (behind the Reference Desk on the second floor) you’ll find Evaluating Clinical Research: All that Glitters is not Gold, by Bengt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D. and Curt D. Furberg, M.D., Ph.D. (Thomcat)
If you’re interested in the broader topic of statistical forecasting, try Ian Ayres’ book Super Crunchers: Why thinking-by-numbers is the new way to be smart (Thomcat). Ayres is an econometrician, lawyer and Yale professor. You’ll find his book on the first floor of the library in our Leisure Books.