As patients, many of us assume that we are receiving the best possible treatment for any medical condition we may have – people with diabetes are no exception. However, with an increasing emphasis on empowerment and choice, many of us are no longer prepared to simply assume that the treatment we are offered is the best available. For others, doubts arise when a treatment seems ineffective or there are adverse effects. Is the prescribed treatment the most suitable? Are there alternative treatments that might be more successful? Both patients and physicians need reliable sources of information. But how reliable is research as a source of information to inform our decision making? Jenny Hirst reports.