I
was talking with a friend who was describing a research study about the brains
of criminals. The researcher had concluded the brains were different, which
prompted me to ask, “well did he have a matched control group?” My friends was
quick to reply, “I’m sure he did what he was supposed to do because he was at
the NIH [National Institutes of Health].” I didn’t have the heart to tell her
that where the researchers work, or even what journal a research article appeared
in, isn’t a 100% percent guarantee of findings.
When
I was in college, for my final exam in experimental design, we were given
articles from two well respected medical journals and asked to evaluate the
studies. Needless to say, we found lots of room for improvement.
That
being noted, there are times that researchers publish “quick and dirty”
research findings because they want feedback before they invest in larger
trials. With the advent of the internet, as well as other media outlets, these
studies can be widely distributed. Therefore before you make a change in
treatment plans, or make health decision based on a research study, here are
some ways to evaluate the study:
• Where
did you learn about the study?
• Was
the study in animals or people? As interesting as findings can be in a rat, or
other animals, clinical trials in humans
can yield very different findings.
• How
many people were involved in the study? When it comes to chronic disease,
studies need to have large populations and continue for an extended period of
time. The goal is to ensure that observed differences are not the result of
chance.
• Does
the study include people like you? Ages, gender, stage of disease, ethnic
groups and life style (e.g. active vs sedentary) of those studied can impact findings.
• Was
it a randomized control group used?
Using a “control group”-which is matched in age and other
characteristics to the group undergoing treatment-is the gold standard for
research. However, it is expensive and so not always used.
• If
a new medication was being tested, were there side effects reported?
• Who
funded the study? Researchers are required to disclose where their funding
comes from. If it’s a large study, with matched controls, from a reputable
institution, chances are the findings are ones that you can trust.
• Have
there been similar studies? If so, what were the results? Were they the same or
different?
Before
making changes, discuss it with your treating medical provider.
Further
reading
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