A Clinician's Guide to Conducting Research on Causal Effects

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Surgical Sciences
• Clinical Epidemiology

Background:

• Surgeons are well-positioned to conduct research for enhancing patient care.
• A significant gap exists in surgeons' training for producing causal evidence.
• Bridging this gap is crucial for evidence-based clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the training gap in causal inference for surgeons.
• To provide clinically relevant examples illustrating assumptions for causal estimates.
• To empower surgeons to generate higher-quality causal evidence.

Main Methods:

• The guide uses practical, clinically-focused examples.
• It details the assumptions necessary for causal inference in research.
• Focuses on translating theoretical concepts to surgical research settings.

Main Results:

• Provides a framework for understanding causal assumptions in surgical research.
• Illustrates how to apply these assumptions using real-world scenarios.
• Aims to enhance the rigor of clinical research conducted by surgeons.

Conclusions:

• Enhanced training in causal inference is vital for surgeons.
• This guide equips surgeons with tools to improve patient care through robust research.
• Facilitates the generation of reliable causal evidence in surgical practice.