The range around the number
If a study reports an improvement with a 95% confidence interval of 2 to 9 points, the true average effect is plausibly somewhere in that range. A wide range means more uncertainty.
What a p-value is not
A p-value of 0.03 does not mean there is a 97% chance the treatment works. It is a statement about the data under an assumption of no effect, and it is often misquoted.
Statistical versus practical
A tiny difference can be statistically clear in a very large study and still be too small to notice in daily life. Researchers discuss this as clinical significance.
Questions worth asking
When you read a result, ask how big the effect was, how wide the range is, and how many people were studied. A doctor can help put any result in context for you.
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