Back to: N-of-1 Trials: A scientist in your back pocket

If you were looking at these charts, you might wonder whether the differences you see in the charts are real or just random fluctuations. In other words, are they large enough that you can be confident that one approach is better than the other? If you had a research statistician nearby, she could tell you, but that’s unlikely.

Luckily, behind the scenes, there are some algorithms that can help you determine which interventions are actually working for you.  So when you’re done with the trials, you can make an informed decision about the medical care or self-care that makes the most sense for you. 

In the end, these N-of-1 trials also lead to information that can help other people too. As more and more people use these personalized apps, scientists are able to collect and analyze the data to estimate how people with certain characteristics are likely to respond to treatments. 

This of course, leads to an important question: why would researchers want to conduct an N-of-1 trial?