Comments on: Working on the probability edge http://www.medrants.com/archives/2338 Contemplating medicine and the health care system Fri, 19 Mar 2010 21:47:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: steve http://www.medrants.com/archives/2338/comment-page-1#comment-19591 steve Tue, 19 Apr 2005 02:51:12 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2005/04/17/working-on-the-probability-edge/#comment-19591 The point of Gina Kolata's article is that no matter what you do, the mortality rate remains one per person. There are competing morbidities and mortalities, and our lifestyle and medication choices affect them very little compared with the effects of our socioeconomic class. I recommend N. Hadler's "The Last Well Person." The point of Gina Kolata’s article is that no matter what you do, the mortality rate remains one per person. There are competing morbidities and mortalities, and our lifestyle and medication choices affect them very little compared with the effects of our socioeconomic class.
I recommend N. Hadler’s “The Last Well Person.”

]]> By: Jim http://www.medrants.com/archives/2338/comment-page-1#comment-19554 Jim Mon, 18 Apr 2005 17:29:11 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2005/04/17/working-on-the-probability-edge/#comment-19554 Modifying probablilities is a great way to put healthcare choices, but......very few folks in the US have a minimal understanding of probability. That's why a previous employer had an unwritten rule that no manufacturing process could have a probability of injuring a person that was equal to or higher than the probability of that person being struck by lightning. While that isn't a particularly high standard (all of our processes were at least two orders of magnitude better), the company lawyers felt they could explain that to a jury if they ever had to. I'm firmly convinced that we need to make probability and statistics a required high school course for graduation. Modifying probablilities is a great way to put healthcare choices, but……very few folks in the US have a minimal understanding of probability.

That’s why a previous employer had an unwritten rule that no manufacturing process could have a probability of injuring a person that was equal to or higher than the probability of that person being struck by lightning. While that isn’t a particularly high standard (all of our processes were at least two orders of magnitude better), the company lawyers felt they could explain that to a jury if they ever had to.

I’m firmly convinced that we need to make probability and statistics a required high school course for graduation.

]]> By: Ali http://www.medrants.com/archives/2338/comment-page-1#comment-19416 Ali Sun, 17 Apr 2005 20:01:50 +0000 http://medrants.com/archives/2005/04/17/working-on-the-probability-edge/#comment-19416 Speaking of statistics, I've been interested for a long time in seeing a Euro-American mortality rate comparison for various diseases. Know of anything like that? Speaking of statistics, I’ve been interested for a long time in seeing a Euro-American mortality rate comparison for various diseases. Know of anything like that?

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