Small differences in the effects of different treatments are usual, and it is important to detect these reliably
When nobody knows the answer to an important uncertainty about the effects of a treatment, steps need to be taken to reduce the uncertainty
Much more could be done to help patients contribute to reducing uncertainties about the effects of treatments
Introduction
In this section we look at the uncertainties that almost invariably surround the claimed effects of treatments, whether new or old. For example, few would probably question the routine use of oxygen in people who have had a heart attack, yet there is no good evidence that it helps, and some evidence that it may cause harm. This uncertainty has never been adequately addressed [1] and many other effects of treatments are disputed.
GET-IT provides plain language definitions of health research terms
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