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Medical Statistics: A Guide to Data Analysis and Critical Appraisal

ISBN: 978-0-727-91812-3

July 2005

BMJ Books

338 pages

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Description

Holistic approach to understanding medical statistics

This hands-on guide is much more than a basic medical statistics introduction. It equips you with the statistical tools required for evidence-based clinical research.

Each chapter provides a clear step-by-step guide to each statistical test with practical instructions on how to generate and interpret the numbers, and present the results as scientific tables or graphs.

Showing you how to:

  • analyse data with the help of data set examples (Click here to download datasets)
  • select the correct statistics and report results for publication or presentation
  • understand and critically appraise results reported in the literature

Each statistical test is linked to the research question and the type of study design used. There are also checklists for critically appraising the literature and web links to useful internet sites.

Clear and concise explanations, combined with plenty of examples and tabulated explanations are based on the authors’ popular medical statistics courses. Critical appraisal guidelines at the end of each chapter help the reader evaluate the statistical data in their particular contexts.

About the Author
Jennifer Peat, Hospital Statistician, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

Belinda Barton, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia

Features
Hands-on guide on how to create and interpret statistics

  • Holistic approach to translating the meaning and use of medical statistics into plain English
  • Step by step guide to framing the research question, selecting the correct test, checking the assumptions, analysing the data and interpreting and presenting the results
  • Practical instructions on which statistics to use, when to use them, how to generate them and how to interpret them
  • Includes checklists of how to read and critically appraise published statistics for evidence-based practice
  • Suitable for the beginner who needs to understand the basics, and for the experienced researched who wants to refresh and update their knowledge skills