Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 20, 2026

Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
Published on: February 26, 2014
Influence of data display formats on physician investigators' decisions to stop clinical trials: prospective trial
L S Elting1, C G Martin, S B Cantor
1Department of Medical Specialties, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard-Box 40, Houston, TX 77030-4095, USA.
Objective:
To examine the effect of the method of data display on physician investigators' decisions to stop hypothetical clinical trials for an unplanned statistical analysis.
Design:
Prospective, mixed model design with variables between subjects and within subjects (repeated measures).
Setting:
Comprehensive cancer centre.
Participants:
34 physicians, stratified by academic rank, who were conducting clinical trials.
Interventions:
PARTICIPANTS were shown tables, pie charts, bar graphs, and icon displays containing hypothetical data from a clinical trial and were asked to decide whether to continue the trial or stop for an unplanned statistical analysis.
Main Outcome Measure:
Percentage of accurate decisions with each type of display.
Results:
Accuracy of decisions was affected by the type of data display and positive or negative framing of the data. More correct decisions were made with icon displays than with tables, pie charts, and bar graphs (82% v 68%, 56%, and 43%, respectively; P=0.03) and when data were negatively framed rather than positively framed in tables (93% v 47%; P=0.004).
Conclusions:
Clinical investigators' decisions can be affected by factors unrelated to the actual data. In the design of clinical trials information systems, careful consideration should be given to the method by which data are framed and displayed in order to reduce the impact of these extraneous factors.
Related Concept Videos
Clinical Trials
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...
Types of Biopharmaceutical Studies: Controlled and Non-Controlled Approaches
Non-controlled studies, commonly employed for initial exploration, lack a control group, rendering them susceptible to biases and external influences. In contrast, controlled...
Clinical Trials: Overview
Bioequivalence Experimental Study Designs: Repeated Measures, Cross-Over, Carry-Over, and Latin Square Designs
Blinding
Crossover Experiments
Crossover designs are performed even with smaller sample sizes since the samples can act as their controls. These are better than simple randomized trials since patients are exposed to all the treatments.