How to Critically Read the GI Epidemiology Literature

Approach to Presenting a Clinical Journal Club

“…In addition, a MET Corner commentary published last year provided a nice summary on how to read the GI epidemiology literature. 5 Key points to focus on in the assessment of the validity of the study include randomization of patients between control and treatment group, concealment of allocation, use of intention-to-treat principle, and follow-up throughout the study. [3][4][5][6][7][8] If methodologic flaws are found during appraisal of the article, this should not necessarily lead to rejection of the paper for presentation, because there is teaching value in assessing and discussing research design and methodology.…”

“…Understanding basic statistics such as odds ratios and relative risks, as well as calculation of number needed to treat and/or number needed to harm can help to quantify the results. 5,8 In addition, it is just as important to evaluate the clinical significance of the results and applicability to patient care; statistical significance does not necessarily indicate clinical significance. Often the first table in an article describes study participant demographics, which can help the reader to decide whether results, if clinically significant, can be applied to their own patient population.…”