GCU NUR699 What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence?
GCU NUR699 What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence?
DQ2 What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence?
NUR699 Evidence Based Practice ProjectWeek 6 Discussion
DQ2 What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence? How would each of these findings be used to advance an evidenced-based project?
The conduct of clinical trials dictates that a rigorous statistical design a priori targets an effect size, which can be thought of as the true difference in outcome that a study hopes to detect when comparing two regimens with one another or when comparing a single regimen to a reliable historical control. Statistical inference, based on the distributional assumptions of the design, is used to formally test the prestated hypothesis about the effect size resulting in p values, which assist in the determination of a study’s success but do not provide any information regarding the magnitude of the observed effect size in the trial. The p values indicate statistical but not clinical significance; they are the metric for the determination of study success or failure after they are compared with the type I error rate, the probability of observing a false-positive result, allocated in the study design. A threshold of 0.05 is thought to be the conventional type I error rate; but in fact, the origin of this threshold is arbitrary, and in practice designs, often have lower or higher false-positive thresholds depending on design features such as adjustments for multiple comparisons or phase of development, respectively. For example, phase 3 studies often test coprimary end points resulting in type I error rates of less than 0.05 in the design, whereas phase 2 trials often relax type I error rates to as high as 0.10 or 0.20.
The p values should be interpreted as the probability that the study results (as good as or better than observed) occurred by chance when the null hypothesis is true.
Clinical significance is far more subjective than statistical significance. Clinical significance is defined by many parameters, including the observed effect size, primary end point, safety profile, financial toxicity, quality of life, availability of a companion diagnostic for identification of patients likely to benefit the most, demographics of the enrolled population, treatment adherence, crossover, and

many others. The past 15 years of oncology drug development have revealed monumental success in bringing forth incredibly effective targeted therapies and immunotherapy for patients with lung cancer; therefore, expectations are higher than novel therapies will result in changes to current practice and substantial benefits to patient outcomes. These outcomes could be associated solely with efficacy assessments but also could be evaluated through relative trade-offs in adverse events, cost-effectiveness, health care convenience (e.g., oral versus intravenous administration), quality of life, and others. With the lack of dramatic treatment effects, incremental advancements use precious resources and time without much benefit to patients. Statistics can be used to assist in the decision-making process to objectively define clinical relevance.
GCU NUR699 What is the difference between statistically significant evidence and clinically significant evidence? Grading Rubric
Performance Category | 100% or highest level of performance
100% 16 points |
Very good or high level of performance
88% 14 points |
Acceptable level of performance
81% 13 points |
Inadequate demonstration of expectations
68% 11 points |
Deficient level of performance
56% 9 points
|
Failing level
of performance 55% or less 0 points |
Total Points Possible= 50 | 16 Points | 14 Points | 13 Points | 11 Points | 9 Points | 0 Points |
Scholarliness
Demonstrates achievement of scholarly inquiry for professional and academic topics. |
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in one of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in three or more of the following elements
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16 Points | 14 Points | 13 Points | 11 Points | 9 Points | 0 Points | |
Application of Course Knowledge
Demonstrate the ability to analyze and apply principles, knowledge and information learned in the outside readings and relate them to real-life professional situations |
Presentation of information was exceptional and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was good, but was superficial in places and included all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information was minimally demonstrated in the all of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in one of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in two of the following elements:
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Presentation of information is unsatisfactory in three of the following elements
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10 Points | 9 Points | 6 Points | 0 Points | |||
Interactive Dialogue
Initial post should be a minimum of 300 words (references do not count toward word count) The peer and instructor responses must be a minimum of 150 words each (references do not count toward word count) Responses are substantive and relate to the topic. |
Demonstrated all of the following:
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Demonstrated 3 of the following:
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Demonstrated 2 of the following:
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Demonstrated 1 or less of the following:
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8 Points | 7 Points | 6 Points | 5 Points | 4 Points | 0 Points | |
Grammar, Syntax, APA
Points deducted for improper grammar, syntax and APA style of writing. The source of information is the APA Manual 6th Edition Error is defined to be a unique APA error. Same type of error is only counted as one error. |
The following was present:
AND
AND
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The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
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The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
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The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
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The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
AND/OR
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The following was present:
AND/OR
AND/OR
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0 Points Deducted | 5 Points Lost | |||||
Participation
Requirements |
Demonstrated the following:
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Failed to demonstrate the following:
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0 Points Lost | 5 Points Lost | |||||
Due Date Requirements | Demonstrated all of the following:
A minimum of one peer and one instructor responses are to be posted within the course no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm MT. |
Demonstrates one or less of the following.
A minimum of one peer and one instructor responses are to be posted within the course no later than Sunday, 11:59 pm MT. |