Having established the objectivity of the medical research, and with the original study results or abstract in hand, you'll want to assess the following:
How Many People Were Studied?
Do your best to determine whether the number of participants seems large enough to draw conclusions. The larger the size of the population that suffers from the studied disease or condition, the larger you should expect the sample of participants to be. For example, a study of heart disease in men should include more participants than a study of African-Americans with sickle-cell anemia. Sometimes this will require you to find follow up commentary on the study.
How Long Did the Study Last?
Some studies last for weeks, while others last for years or decades. Did the study you are reviewing last long enough? A study of how quickly flu is transmitted would not need to last nearly as long as one that followed the development of heart disease in people with diabetes to come to a solid conclusion. You may need to find expert commentary to determine if the study in question lasted for an adequate duration.
Have the Study Results Been Replicated Elsewhere?
It's possible that different studies of very similar people, drugs, procedures or therapies will yield very different results. It's important to find at least two studies that reach similar conclusions to confirm whether those results apply to you.
Even then, they may not. An excellent example of this is the number of studies that have been done on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for women during the past dozen or so years. Hundreds of studies have yielded varying and sometimes conflicting, results, even though the same population is being studied.
Your answers to these questions will take you one step closer to determining if this study applies to you. Now, see what additional experts have to say.
