Cautionary tales in the clinical interpretation of therapeutic trial reports

Practising clinicians are assailed daily with reports of new therapeutic clinical trials. The evidence‐based medicine movement has developed critical appraisal methods for assessing the validity and impact of such studies. However, challenges persist in regards to the appropriate interpretation and application of trial results within everyday clinical settings. Using selected examples from recently published literature, we illustrate 15 cautionary themes for translating research evidence from therapeutic trials into clinical practice. (Intern Med J 2005; 35: 611–621)