Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
What is an Experiment?01:12

What is an Experiment?

An experiment is a planned activity carried out under controlled conditions. The purpose of an experiment is to investigate the relationship between two variables. When one variable causes change in another, we call the first variable the explanatory or independent variable. The affected variable is called the response or dependent variable. In a randomized experiment, the researcher manipulates values of the explanatory variable and measures the resulting changes in the response variable. The...
Hazard Ratio01:12

Hazard Ratio

The hazard ratio (HR) is a widely used measure in clinical trials to compare the risk of events, such as death or disease recurrence, between two groups over time. It reflects the ratio of hazard rates—the instantaneous risk of the event occurring—between a treatment group and a control group. This measure provides valuable insights into the relative effectiveness of a treatment by assessing how the risk of an event differs between the two groups.
For example, in a clinical trial evaluating a...
Blinding01:11

Blinding

Blinding is a commonly used method of not telling participants which treatment a subject is receiving. Blinding is a critical part of a randomized control trial or RCT. It reduces the bias that affects the results. In an RCT, blinding is used in the form of a placebo. A placebo effect occurs when untreated subjects falsely believe they have received the treatment and report improved symptoms. A placebo or a dummy treatment is administered to subjects to negate the bias caused by such an effect.
Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups01:20

Comparing the Survival Analysis of Two or More Groups

Survival analysis is a cornerstone of medical research, used to evaluate the time until an event of interest occurs, such as death, disease recurrence, or recovery. Unlike standard statistical methods, survival analysis is particularly adept at handling censored data—instances where the event has not occurred for some participants by the end of the study or remains unobserved. To address these unique challenges, specialized techniques like the Kaplan-Meier estimator, log-rank test, and Cox...
Clinical Trials01:16

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are prospective experimental studies conducted on humans to determine the safety and efficacy of treatments, drugs, diet methods, and medical devices. Using statistics in clinical trials enables researchers to derive reasonable and accurate conclusions from the collected data, allowing them to make wise decisions in uncertain situations. In medical research, statistical methods are crucial for preventing errors and bias.
There are four phases in a clinical trial. A phase one...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists and Incident Major Adverse Liver Outcomes in People With Type 2 Diabetes and Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease.

Diabetes, obesity & metabolism·2026
Same author

Reassessment of the Diagnostic Accuracy of HbA<sub>1c</sub> and Glucose for Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.

Diabetes/metabolism research and reviews·2026
Same author

GLP-1 receptor agonists or SGLT2-inhibitors? Evaluation of a personalized treatment algorithm for individuals with type 2 diabetes: a registry-based cohort study.

Experimental and clinical endocrinology & diabetes : official journal, German Society of Endocrinology [and] German Diabetes Association·2026
Same author

Comparative effectiveness of combination therapy with SGLT-2 inhibitors and GLP-1 RAs compared with SGLT-2 inhibitors in individuals with type 2 diabetes: A prevalent new-user cohort study.

Diabetes, obesity & metabolism·2026
Same author

Effects of benfotiamine treatment over 12 months on morphometric, neurophysiological and clinical measures in type 2 diabetes patients with symptomatic polyneuropathy: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial (BOND study).

BMJ open diabetes research & care·2026
Same author

Time-constant absolute effect measures for time-to-event outcomes.

BMC medical research methodology·2025
Same journal

Flexible Survival Extrapolation with Blended Hazards: Accounting for Treatment Effect Waning in Health Technology Assessment.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
Same journal

A Microsimulation Model for Chronic Kidney Disease Progression in Type 2 Diabetes Patients in the United States: Michigan Model for Diabetes-Chronic Kidney Disease Model.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
Same journal

Cardiovascular Risk Estimation and Statin Adherence: A Historical Cohort Study.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
Same journal

Taste or Scale? Methodological Approach to Health Preferences Comparison across Groups.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
Same journal

Mind the Gap: Impact of New Labels on Public Perceptions and Calculated Risk of Adverse Outcomes after a Melanoma In Situ Diagnosis-A Secondary Analysis of an Online Randomized Experiment.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
Same journal

A Metamodel-Based General-Purpose Autocalibration Tool for Simulation Models.

Medical decision making : an international journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 20, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
06:28

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy

Published on: August 1, 2019

Communicating Time-to-Event Treatment Effects in Randomized Trials: A Randomized Experiment among General

Helge Giese1,2, Wolfgang Gaissmaier2, Oliver Kuss3,4

  • 1Heisenberg Chair for Medical Risk Literacy and Evidence-based Decisions, Charité- Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Medical Decision Making : an International Journal of the Society for Medical Decision Making
|May 19, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

General practitioners struggle to interpret time-to-event treatment effects from clinical trials, regardless of presentation format. New strategies are needed to effectively communicate these complex outcomes for better patient decision-making.

Keywords:
absolute risk reductionfact boxhazard ratiorisk communicationsurvival analysis

More Related Videos

A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers
08:33

A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers

Published on: January 5, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 20, 2026

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy
06:28

E-Patient Counseling Trial (E-PACO): Computer Based Education versus Nurse Counseling for Patients to Prepare for Colonoscopy

Published on: August 1, 2019

A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers
08:33

A Randomized, Sham-Controlled Trial of Cranial Electrical Stimulation for Fibromyalgia Pain and Physical Function, Using Brain Imaging Biomarkers

Published on: January 5, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Clinical Trials
  • Medical Communication
  • Health Outcomes Research

Background:

  • Time-to-event outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are frequently presented in ways that obscure how treatment effects change over time.
  • This lack of clarity hinders clinicians' interpretation of trial results and their ability to support patient decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the understanding and acceptability of different formats for communicating time-to-event treatment effects among general practitioners.
  • To determine if providing baseline risk information improves the interpretation of these effects.

Main Methods:

  • An online experiment was conducted with 250 German general practitioners in April 2024.
  • Participants assessed treatment effects using four common formats: hazard ratios, prolongation of life, restricted mean survival time (RMST), and absolute risk reduction.
  • Understanding was measured by the ability to compare effect sizes (small, medium, large), and acceptability of each format was also assessed.

Main Results:

  • Effectiveness ratings did not differ across formats for distinguishing between small, medium, and large treatment effects.
  • Restricted mean survival time (RMST) presentations were rated as less effective but more acceptable compared to other formats.
  • The inclusion of baseline risk information did not significantly impact effectiveness ratings or acceptability.

Conclusions:

  • General practitioners experienced difficulties interpreting time-to-event treatment effects across all evaluated formats.
  • No tested format facilitated an accurate understanding of effect size, even though RMST was preferred.
  • Current methods for communicating time-to-event outcomes may be inadequate for clinical practice, necessitating the development of improved strategies.