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Covering a controversial study: How to dig deep on a deadline
From the moment I saw the study — and editorial and editor’s note — among JAMA’s embargoed studies, I knew…
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Caveats about causality in medical studies linked to more accurate news coverage
It’s a well-worn mantra: Correlation does not equal causation. But even if we know this, is it always accurately and…
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Identity-first vs. person-first language is an important distinction
Freelance journalist Cassandra Willyard recently asked me on Twitter about resources on the use of appropriate, respectful language when it…
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New data resource on opioids available in AHCJ’s medical studies topic area
Deaths from drug overdose in 2017 alone exceeded the total number of Americans who died during the entire Vietnam War,…
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New data section offers statistics and info on disability in America
What do depression, diabetes, dyslexia, prosthetics, hearing loss, obesity and heart disease all have in common? All are considered disabilities…
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Tylenol, antibiotics and asthma risk: Confounding by indication case study 3
I’ve discussed in previous blog posts ways in which confounding by indication can completely change the way observational research is…
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Confounding by indication case study 2: Hormonal contraception and risk of depression
I wrote in a previous blog about the importance of understanding confounding by indication and being sure to ask researchers…
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Confounding by indication case study 1: Induction of labor and cesarean delivery risk
One of the biggest challenges in teasing out possible causation or directionality of an exposure and an observed phenomenon, it’s…
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New data resource on NSQIP database can inform coverage of relevant medical studies
More than 1,500 peer-reviewed studies have relied on a surgical database known as the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP),…
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Covering vascular surgery? Watch for selection bias in this database
If you cover medical research related to vascular procedures and conditions, you’ve likely come across studies using data from the…