Conclusion: NNT/NNH Comparative Numbers

Prof. Mary Ferrill gives a summary of this lesson.

Continuing from the previous video, we can find the confidence intervals in this example are extremely wide, which indicates the data is not very precise. Also, we should notice that the percentages are very low in both case and controls.

Besides, she takes three of the NSAIDs to make an example. We can find the NNTs are very small, which means most NSAIDs work well in removing pain. However, the NNHs are much bigger.

In conclusion, we need to analyze a study instead of just reporting what is there. We need to verify all the numbers provided in a study to reproduce those results and interpret them correctly.

It is easy to calculate NNT, but it is difficult to determine what it means and explain it to a healthcare professional. Thus, remember to look at both the NNT and the NNH together to make sure the benefit is worth the potential risks. Put this in the context of a full literature evaluation and not just focus on the numbers.

This is the final video in this week. If you have any questions or thoughts, please share them below.