title: Measuring and understanding treatment effectiveness in hand surgery.
abstract: Incorporating evidence-based medicine into practice is now an expectation for hand surgeons. Hand surgeons need to be able to assess associated benefits, risks, cost, and applicability of a treatment option when providing care to their patients. Using a clinical example, this article takes the reader through the three-step approach when using a publication from the medical literature on therapy. The focus of this article is primarily the second and third steps, which involve measuring and understanding treatment effectiveness.
authors: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, HSC 4E12, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada; Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOURCE), McMaster University, 202-39 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1Y3, Canada. Electronic address: sophocles.voineskos@medportal.ca.
authors: Sophocles H
authors: SH
authors: Voineskos
authors: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, HSC 4E12, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada; Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOURCE), McMaster University, 202-39 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1Y3, Canada.
authors: Christopher J
authors: CJ
authors: Coroneos
authors: Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, HSC 4E12, 1200 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada; Surgical Outcomes Research Centre (SOURCE), McMaster University, 202-39 Charlton Avenue East, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 1Y3, Canada; Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University HSC 2C, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada.
authors: Achilleas
authors: A
authors: Thoma
authors: Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University HSC 2C, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada; Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Surgery, McMaster University, Well-Health Building, 293 Wellington Street North, Hamilton, Ontario L8L 8E7, Canada.
authors: Mohit
authors: M
authors: Bhandari
mesh_terms: D057186:Comparative Effectiveness Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D004387:Dupuytren Contracture / Q000601:surgery; D006225:Hand / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Comparative effectiveness research; Confidence interval; Hand surgery; Minimal clinically important difference; Number needed to treat; P-value; Relative risk; Treatment outcome