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URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/understandingmedicalresearch.html

Understanding Medical Research

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Summary

It seems to happen almost every day - you hear about the results of a new medical research study. Sometimes the results of one study seem to disagree with the results of another study.

It's important to be critical when reading or listening to reports of new medical findings. Some questions that can help you evaluate health information include:

  • Was the study in animals or people?
  • Does the study include people like you?
  • How big was the study?
  • Was it a randomized controlled clinical trial?
  • Where was the research done?
  • If a new treatment was being tested, were there side effects?
  • Who paid for the research?
  • Who is reporting the results?

NIH: National Institutes of Health

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.