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Expecting a doctor to know statistics and evaluate information like this is like expecting a master computer hacker to perform surgery on you.
by kiba 14y ago
Expecting a doctor to know statistics and evaluate information like this is like expecting a master computer hacker to perform surgery on you.
- matthewowen 14y agoSadly, current NHS reforms mean that it is increasingly necessary that they can do so - broadly speaking, the healthcare system is being significantly decentralised, and much more commissioning power is being put in their hands. And, of course, you already have this situation in the USA, no? How does your doctor decide which treatments they ought to prescribe for you? How does your doctor decide which screens are useful, which are not?
- bo1024 14y agoExcept that doctors actually do have to evaluate information like this all the time, and how they evaluate it determines what type of treatment they choose.
- mertd 14y agoSame goes for diagnosis, which is basically finding the maximum likelihood culprit, given the evidence (symptoms, patient history, age, gender).
- pharrington 14y ago"doctor" "master computer hacker" Do even most computer programmers know statistics and how to meaningfully evaluate data?
- pjscott 14y agoThis is pretty basic, relevant math. Don't most degree programs in pre-med or biology require at least an introductory statistics class?
- a_bonobo 14y agoIt's not that basic, it's stochastics for beginners, which in my biology undergrad was taught in Maths II, and in my sister's med. undergrad was taught in the last year I think, and she still struggles with p-values (especially how to interpret them, and adjust for cut-offs) in her PhD.
- deleted 14y ago[deleted]