Use and misuse of the p-value.
The p-value is a widely used tool for inference in clinical studies. However, despite the numerous books and papers published on the basics of statistical inference and, thus, on the p-value, there still seems to be a need to highlight what message the p-value exactly contains (and what it does not). In this article, the basic concepts and the different misconceptions regarding the p-value will be highlighted and illustrated with a clinical trial in osteoarthritis. It will also be shown that the (95%) confidence interval is to be preferred over the p-value as a statistical inference tool.
Lesaffre
Emmanuel
E
Biostatistical Centre, Catholic University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium. e.lesaffre@erasmusmc.nl
D035843:Biomedical Research; D000068579:Celecoxib; D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000077613:Etoricoxib; D006801:Humans; D015207:Osteoarthritis, Hip / Q000188:drug therapy*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011725:Pyridines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D018401:Sample Size; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013449:Sulfonamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013450:Sulfones / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D016861:Cyclooxygenase Inhibitors; D011720:Pyrazoles; D011725:Pyridines; D013449:Sulfonamides; D013450:Sulfones; D000068579:Celecoxib; D000077613:Etoricoxib