TY - JOUR
T1 - Number needed to treat
T2 - A useful new method of assessing the magnitude of treatment effect and its application to the management of diabetic retinopathy
AU - San Laureano, J. A.
AU - Briganti, E. M.
AU - Colville, D. J.
PY - 1999/7/6
Y1 - 1999/7/6
N2 - The magnitude of treatment effect from randomized controlled trials can be measured in various ways. The number needed to treat is a recently described measure that has been shown to offer several advantages in the clinical interpretation and application of reported treatment effects. It quantifies the number of patients that must be treated in order to prevent one patient from developing the specified outcome. The methods necessary to calculate traditional measures of treatment effect, as well as the number needed to treat, are outlined using the management of diabetic retinopathy as an example. The uses and limitations of the number needed to treat are also discussed.
AB - The magnitude of treatment effect from randomized controlled trials can be measured in various ways. The number needed to treat is a recently described measure that has been shown to offer several advantages in the clinical interpretation and application of reported treatment effects. It quantifies the number of patients that must be treated in order to prevent one patient from developing the specified outcome. The methods necessary to calculate traditional measures of treatment effect, as well as the number needed to treat, are outlined using the management of diabetic retinopathy as an example. The uses and limitations of the number needed to treat are also discussed.
KW - Clinical decision making
KW - Clinical epidemiology
KW - Diabetic retinopathy
KW - Number needed to treat
KW - Treatment effect
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0033011911&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1046/j.1440-1606.1999.00177.x
DO - 10.1046/j.1440-1606.1999.00177.x
M3 - Review Article
C2 - 10379712
AN - SCOPUS:0033011911
VL - 27
SP - 137
EP - 142
JO - Australian & NZ Journal of Ophthalmology
JF - Australian & NZ Journal of Ophthalmology
SN - 0814-9763
IS - 2
ER -
