Statistics and evidence-based medicine are assessed in most postgraduate and undergraduate medical examinations and degrees in health sciences. All clinicians have to acquire skills in this area. This book aims to provide a brief overview of basic medical statistics and the numerical aspects of evidence-based medicine to give realistic worked examples to illustrate the interpretation of studies relevant to clinical practice and to allow examination practice. It aims to cover all major topics covered in the undergraduate and postgraduate examinations. Each chapter begins with an overview and summary of the main points followed by worked examples and exercises with full answers. It will be ideal for all postgraduate medical examination candidates. Other clincians and undergraduate students in medicine and health sciences will also find it useful.

Fifty years ago medicine was straightforward. Doctors had limited therapeutic options and patients did as they were told. Today, an array of medial interventions is putting increasing pressure on limited resources, patients are questioning everything and doctors are uncertain of their role. Health economists hoped to offer important insights to aid decision making, but their technical frameworks bore little resemblance to the practical requirements of end users. Now, this book presents the concepts and insights that health economics has to offer in a way that is accessible to every healthcare decision maker. Getting Health Economics into Practice is for all those who are involved in the planning, commissioning and delivery of healthcare. It illuminates the practical value that the concepts and principles of health economics can offer decision makers at all levels. Comprehensive and extensive, it is the first such book to be edited by a clinician rather than a health economist, with contributions from an expert panel of specialists. This approach ensures it is accessible and useful in the everyday work of health professionals. It is relevant for all healthcare sectors, in particular for Primary Care Trusts, and is essential reading for managers, researchers, and especially practitioners.