Clinical statistics: five key statistical concepts for clinicians
Clinical statistics: five key statistical concepts for clinicians
- 대한구강악안면외과학회
- 대한구강악안면외과학회지
- 대한구강악안면외과학회지 제39권 제5호
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2013.11203 - 206 (4 pages)
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Statistics is the science of data. As the foundation of scientific knowledge, data refers to evidentiary facts from the nature of reality by human action, observation, or experiment. Clinicians should be aware of the conditions of good data to support the validity of clinical modalities in reading scientific articles, one of the resources to revise or update their clinical knowledge and skills. The cause-effect link between clinical modality and outcome is ascertained as pattern statistic. The uniformity of nature guarantees the recurrence of data as the basic scientific evidence. Variation statistics are examined for patterns of recurrence. This provides information on the probability of recurrence of the cause-effect phenomenon. Multiple causal factors of natural phenomenon need a counterproof of absence in terms of the control group. A pattern of relation between a causal factor and an effect becomes recognizable, and thus, should be estimated as relation statistic. The type and meaning of each relation statistic should be well-understood. A study regarding a sample from the population of wide variations require clinicians to be aware of error statistics due to random chance. Incomplete human sense, coarse measurement instrument, and preconceived idea as a hypothesis that tends to bias the research, which gives rise to the necessity of keen critical independent mind with regard to the reported data.
I. Introduction
II. Variation Statistics
III. Counterproof of Absence
IV. Pattern Statistics
V. Relation Statistics
VI. Control Group
VII. Error Statistics
VIII. Critical Mind
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