Research
Research overview
Patients increasingly come to appointments with a link to an article or an ad for a “clinically proven” product. That’s fine — what matters is turning the news into a productive conversation with your doctor. This section covers the kinds of studies there are and what each can tell us, how to discuss a find at your appointment step by step, and the signs of advertising that hides behind science. There are no summaries of specific studies here.
Bringing your doctor an article doesn’t mean doubting them. What matters is coming with a question, not a ready-made decision.
Types of studies
| Type | What it shows | Limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Randomised controlled trial (RCT) | Whether an intervention has an effect compared with a placebo or another option; groups are formed at random | Participants are selected by strict criteria and may differ from you; rare effects are easily missed in small RCTs |
| Cohort study | What happens over time to people who do or do not have a particular factor | Shows an association; results may be affected by unaccounted differences between people |
| Case-control study | How people who became ill differed in the past from those who did not | Information about the past can be inaccurate; useful for generating hypotheses, but not for proving a cause |
| Systematic review | A summary of all studies on one topic found according to set rules | If the original studies are weak, no strong conclusion can be drawn |
| Meta-analysis | A combined statistical result of several comparable studies | Errors and differences in the original studies carry over into the result |
| Cell and animal studies | How a substance or process might work in principle | Conclusions do not transfer directly to humans; there is a long way to go before clinical use |
How to discuss a study in the news with your doctor
Save the news item itself
Show your doctor the text or link rather than retelling it from memory: important details are easily lost in a retelling.
Note where the data come from
Check whether the article names a journal or organisation, or says it is a preprint. Without the original source, the conclusion is harder to discuss.
You can highlight the line in the text that mentions the source so the doctor sees it straight away.
Ask the question about yourself
Not “is this true?” but “does this apply to my situation?”. That makes it easier for the doctor to give a substantive answer.
Ask who was studied
Ask whether the study participants are similar to you in age, condition and other medicines — or whether it was a study on cells and animals.
Ask about absolute numbers
How much the probability of the outcome actually changes, and what possible side effects the method has.
The question “how many people out of a hundred will benefit?” helps turn percentages into a clear picture.
Agree on next steps
If your doctor considers the data insufficient, ask what could change their mind. Don’t change your treatment on your own until the question is settled.
Red flags in ads for “proven” methods
- “Clinically proven” without naming the study, journal or organisation
- References to “scientists” or “doctors” without names or affiliations
- The effect was shown in cells or animals, but the product is sold to people
- Only percentages — without how many participants there were or what they were compared with
- A product registered as a dietary supplement is presented as a treatment for a disease
- A promise of results “for everyone” and with no side effects
Related sections
- Methods
What makes a prescription well-founded, what kinds of tests exist and how to check a method or medicine.
- Ask your doctor
Questions worth asking your doctor before an appointment, when a test is ordered and after you get a report.
- Glossary
Words from the doctor’s office, referrals, discharge summaries and science news — brief, with no reference values.
Sources
- Cochrane Library
- State Register of Medicines (GRLS), Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation
- General concepts of evidence-based medicine
Information is current as of the date of preparation. In Russia, the rules of compulsory medical insurance (OMS), the procedure for preventive check-ups and dispanserizatsiya, and the requirements for medical records and remote consultations may change — check the current documents and confirm details with your clinic or your health insurance company. Healthcare systems in other countries work differently.