‘Spinning’ clinical research findings Event

The term “spin” was used in the medical literature for the first time by Horton, editor of Lancet, when he discussed the rhetoric of research. Horton defined spin as ‘‘the conscious and unconscious tricks of authorial rhetoric.’’ Later studies systematically assessed distorted presentation and interpretation in published articles and found that spin was quite common. Spin has now been documented in reports of randomized clinical trials, test accuracy studies, nonrandomized studies, and systematic reviews.

We will present several practices of spin, summarize evaluations of spin, and explore how spin can be detected and removed from clinical study reports.

Avoiding misrepresentation and generous interpretations of study findings is a shared responsibility, where authors, reviewers, editors, and readers can and should collaborate.

About the Presenter:

Patrick M. Bossuyt is the professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the Amsterdam University Medical Centers, Amsterdam, the Netherlands. His research primarily focuses on the evaluation of interventions in clinical medicine. He was department chair, division chair, and dean of graduate studies.

Patrick also leads the Biomarker and Test Evaluation Research program. The BiTE program wants to appraise and develop methods for evaluating medical tests and biomarkers, and to apply these methods in relevant clinical studies. In doing so, it aims at strengthening the evidence-base for rational decision-making about the use of tests and testing strategies in health care.

Patrick serves on the editorial board of Radiology and Clinical Chemistry. He also chairs the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Dutch Health Insurance Board, which oversees the services that are covered in the national health insurance program.

Watch the seminar below