Understanding Medical Statistics in Clinical Decision-Making

Medical statistics play a crucial role in clinical decision-making, though many clinicians find the topic tedious. It is noted that only about 15 to 20 percent of the knowledge utilized in practice stems from robust clinical trials, with the majority reliant on observational data, which can be misleading. For example, during the COVID pandemic, many therapies appeared promising based on observational data but failed in randomized trials. This highlights the necessity of rigorous methodologies to ensure that clinical decisions are grounded in solid evidence.