Publication
Sample size matters: a guide for surgeons
Journal Paper/Review - May 1, 2005
Gueller Ulrich, Oertli Daniel
Units
PubMed
Doi
Citation
Type
Journal
Publication Date
Issn Print
Pages
Brief description/objective
Considerations of sample size computations in the medical literature have gained increasing importance over the past decade and are now often mandatory for scientific grant proposals, protocols, and publications. However, many surgeons are ill-prepared to understand the parameters on which the appropriate sample size is based. The present article has several objectives: first, to review the need for sample size considerations; second, to explain the ingredients necessary for sample size computations in simple, nonmathematic language; third, to provide options for reducing the sample size if it seems impracticably large; and fourth, to help avoid some of the more common mistakes encountered when computing sample sizes.