Book excerpt: Cut Through the Complexities of Medical Studies! A Doody's Core Title ESSENTIAL PURCHASE! Enhance your understanding and utilization of the information in medical journals with Stephen Gehlbach's Interpreting the Medical Literature. Written in a clear and entertaining style, this popular guide cuts through the complex language of research studies and makes reading medical publications a rewarding and pleasurable experience. IMPROVE YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF VITAL RESEARCH Comprehend medical literature and evaluate the significance of any study Read research reports more quickly and easily Make sense of dense, scientific prose Learn about study design, measurement, statistical analysis, and interpretation Sharpen your analytical skills on current and classic medical studies Reinforce your knowledge of concepts with examples from actual medical literature New to the Fifth Edition: a chapter on how to interpret conflicting studies; expanded discussions of meta-analysis and developing consensus; updated figures and charts