Measuring and understanding treatment effectiveness in hand surgery

Sophocles H Voineskos; Christopher J Coroneos; Achilleas Thoma; Mohit Bhandari

doi:10.1016/j.hcl.2014.04.008

Measuring and understanding treatment effectiveness in hand surgery

Hand Clin. 2014 Aug;30(3):285-92, v. doi: 10.1016/j.hcl.2014.04.008.

Authors

Sophocles H Voineskos¹, Christopher J Coroneos², Achilleas Thoma³, Mohit Bhandari⁴

Affiliations

¹ 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.
² 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.
³ 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.
⁴ 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.

PMID: 25066847
DOI: 10.1016/j.hcl.2014.04.008

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.

Keywords: Comparative effectiveness research; Confidence interval; Hand surgery; Minimal clinically important difference; Number needed to treat; P-value; Relative risk; Treatment outcome.

Publication types

Case Reports
Review

MeSH terms

Comparative Effectiveness Research / organization & administration*
Dupuytren Contracture / surgery
Hand / surgery*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Reproducibility of Results
Research Design
Treatment Outcome*