Efficacy
How we calculate
We display on the Telix website the simple absolute efficacy of each treatment, calculated from data extracted from the cited studies. This efficacy is calculated using the following formula: the number of study participants who achieved a specific benefit from the treatment (whether control, elimination of symptoms, reduction of symptoms, or prevention) divided by the number of participants who started the treatment.
Types of efficacy
Cure
Restoration of health
Efficacy calculated based on patients who achieved complete remission of the disease.
Remission
Be symptom-free
Efficacy calculated based on patients who achieved persistent elimination of symptoms after continuous use of the treatment.
Control
Persistent reduction of symptoms
Efficacy calculated based on patients who achieved a persistent reduction in the intensity, frequency, or variety of symptoms with the use of the treatment.
Elimination of symptoms
Temporary
Efficacy calculated based on patients who achieved temporary 100% elimination of symptoms within a short period after using the treatment, with the possibility of symptoms returning after some time.
Reduction of symptoms
Temporary
Efficacy calculated based on patients who experienced a temporary reduction in symptoms with the use of a given treatment, regardless of the extent of that reduction.
Prevention
Avoid the disease
Efficacy calculated based on patients who achieved a positive outcome when using the treatment as a preventive measure against the disease.
Questions and Answers
Why are there two values for the efficacy of each treatment (a lower and a higher one)?
Since there is more than one scientific study evaluating the efficacy of each treatment, we include in the table both the lowest and the highest efficacy values found across the related studies. This allows you to understand the range of variation. The efficacy of a treatment may vary between studies due to factors such as dosage, duration of treatment, characteristics of the population receiving the treatment, and other variables.
Where do the efficacy data on the Telix website come from, and how are they calculated?
The efficacy data presented are extracted from studies specifically selected on treatments for migraine and chronic headache. The efficacy data we use on Telix are based on the simple absolute efficacy of each treatment, considering the benefit achieved with the treatment. In other words, for each study, we take the number of people who achieved a specific benefit from the treatment (cure, elimination of symptoms, reduction of symptoms, or prevention) and divide it by the number of people who started the treatment, thus obtaining the efficacy percentage.
Why does the efficacy label include terms such as cure, remission, control, elimination of symptoms, reduction of symptoms, or prevention?
To explain the criteria used in calculating efficacy. For example, if it says “cure,” it means we used the number of people who achieved complete recovery from the disease after using the treatment. In the case of “elimination of symptoms,” it means we used the number of people whose symptoms were 100% eliminated at that moment with the use of the treatment, and so on.
Why is the efficacy percentage shown in the full text available through the external link of each study not the same as the one presented on the Telix website for that study?
Because most studies report relative efficacy data (comparing the treatment with a placebo or other treatments), while on Telix we present simple absolute efficacy data. This is the approach we use to make it possible to compare different treatments across various specialties, studies, locations, dates, and methodologies.
The data we extract from each study are limited to the following: how many participants achieved a benefit from the treatment, what type of benefit was obtained (cure, elimination of symptoms, reduction of symptoms, or prevention), and how many participants started that specific treatment. Based on this, the efficacy presented on Telix is calculated.