Glossary Term
Number Needed to Treat (NNT)
Definition
The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) is a statistical measure used in clinical research to determine the number of patients who need to be treated with a specific intervention for one patient to benefit (i.e., experience a favorable outcome) compared to a control group. The NNT is commonly used to quantify the effectiveness of a medical treatment or intervention. A lower NNT indicates a more effective treatment, as fewer patients need to be treated to achieve one positive outcome.
Relevance to the MedTech Industry
In MedTech and healthcare, NNT is a critical tool for evaluating the effectiveness of medical interventions, treatments, or devices. It helps healthcare professionals understand how effective a particular treatment or device is in improving patient outcomes and guides decision-making about which treatments to offer. NNT is also used to weigh the benefits of a treatment against potential risks or costs.
Additional Information & Related Terms
Related Terms
Absolute Risk Reduction (ARR): The difference in event rates between the treatment and control groups used to calculate NNT.
Relative Risk Reduction (RRR): The percentage reduction in risk between the treatment group and the control group. RRR is often used to present the effectiveness of a treatment but does not directly calculate NNT.
Efficacy: The ability of a treatment or device to produce a desired effect in controlled settings, often measured in clinical trials.
Effect Size: A measure of the strength of the relationship between treatment and outcome, which helps in understanding the impact of treatment on the patient population.
Clinical Trial Design: The framework in which NNT is calculated, using randomized controlled trials (RCTs) or observational studies to compare treatment outcomes.