Clinical Relevance
Clinical relevance refers to the practical importance of a medical finding, intervention, or observation in real-world clinical settings. It addresses whether the result has a meaningful impact on:
- Patient care
- Clinical decision-making
- Diagnosis or treatment choices
- Health outcomes (e.g., symptom control, survival, quality of life)
Key Characteristics
- Improves or influences patient outcomes
- Has implications for day-to-day clinical practice
- Goes beyond statistical significance
- Relevant to real-world settings, not only research conditions
Clinical vs. Statistical Significance
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Statistical Significance | Indicates a result is unlikely due to chance (e.g., p < 0.05) |
| Clinical Relevance | Indicates a result is meaningful for patient care |
*Example:* A treatment reduces hospital stay by 1 hour with p < 0.001 → statistically significant, but not necessarily clinically relevant.
Example in Neurosurgery
- A new surgical technique that reduces complication rates by 20% → clinically relevant
- A biomarker that predicts tumor subtype with 90% accuracy but does not alter treatment → not clinically relevant