Interpreting P values in clinical research: A practical guide for clinicians
Alp Şener1,2
1Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yıldırım Beyazıt University, Ankara, Türkiye,
2Department of Emergency Medicine, Ankara Bilkent City Hospital, Ankara, Türkiye
Keywords: Clinical significance, confidence interval, effect size, evidence‑based medicine, P-value, statistical analysis
Abstract
Accurate interpretation of medical literature is essential for evidence based clinical practice. Among statistical measures, the P value remains one of the most frequently used and most frequently misunderstood concepts in clinical research. Conventionally, a P < 0.05 was considered the primary criterion for determining statistical significance. However, reliance on this threshold alone may lead to overestimation of clinically unimportant findings or failure to recognize clinically meaningful effects in underpowered studies. Recent recommendations emphasize the importance of interpreting P values together with confidence intervals, effect sizes, and study design characteristics. This review discusses the basic principles of P values, common misconceptions, statistical errors, practices that threaten scientific validity, and complementary statistical approaches that can improve clinical interpretation. The aim is to provide clinicians and researchers with a practical framework for evaluating statistical findings in medical studies.
How to cite this article: Şener A. Interpreting P values in clinical research: A practical guide for clinicians. Turk J Emerg Med 2026;26:281-7.