The Translation of Research Central Tendencies in Clinical Practice: Power and Limitations of Statistics

Abstract

The clinician's ability to provide evidence-based orthodontics is directly related to their adeptness at dissecting published research, which in turn is heavily dependent on the proper understanding of the tenets of research design and biostatistics. Using relevant clinical examples, we discuss key principles affecting the translation of the results of single research studies into clinical practice, including effect modifiers and confounders, study design, central tendency and outliers. The application of the same scrutiny to higher level meta-epidemiological evidence is also illustrated in addition to a detailed discussion of the applicability and limitations of prediction studies. We conclude by highlighting how the particulars of publishing undermine the ultimate goal of transparency in dissemination of research findings and how they may restrict the ability to critically scrutinize and build upon seminal landmark studies that, just like other research, are limited by the original research design and statistical protocols employed. © 2023 Elsevier Inc.