Doug Altman, medical statistician par excellence: What can radiologists learn from his legacy?

This narrative review describes our experience of working with Doug Altman, the most highly cited medical statistician in the world. Doug was particularly interested in diagnostics, and imaging studies in particular. We describe how his insights helped improve our own radiological research studies and we provide advice for other researchers hoping to improve their own research practice. • We describe how working with the statistician Doug Altman improved our research. • Medical statisticians should be consulted when preparing for research. • Medical statisticians help design unbiased, adequately powered studies. • High quality medical research is unlikely without statistical help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]