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Epidemiology
Applying Statistics to Orthopaedic Research
Division of Outcome Studies Director Michael Walsh
Epidemiology is the study of factors that influence the health of groups of people. In contrast to the physician, who typically deals with one patient at a time, the epidemiologist, using the tools and methods of statistical analysis, considers information gathered from entire populations in an effort to identify the physical, biological, social, cultural, and behavioral causes of specific diseases and injuries. Relevant data are collected from patient questionnaires, clinical records, test reports, and the like, and the resulting analysis helps doctors develop and evaluate treatment and management techniques as well as proving useful to health care planners and managers in identifying and characterizing groups of patients with special needs and designing delivery systems that maximize patient benefit.
Graphing data for statistical analysis This representative scatterplot, with best-fit curves, compares the effectiveness of different anesthetic modes in preventing blood loss in surgery.
The NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases’ Division of Outcome Studies plays a threefold role in the Musculoskeletal Research Center: conducting epidemiologic research, teaching, and providing support for basic and clinical orthopaedic research studies.
Applying Statistics to Orthopaedic Research
Division of Outcome Studies Director Michael Walsh
Epidemiology is the study of factors that influence the health of groups of people. In contrast to the physician, who typically deals with one patient at a time, the epidemiologist, using the tools and methods of statistical analysis, considers information gathered from entire populations in an effort to identify the physical, biological, social, cultural, and behavioral causes of specific diseases and injuries. Relevant data are collected from patient questionnaires, clinical records, test reports, and the like, and the resulting analysis helps doctors develop and evaluate treatment and management techniques as well as proving useful to health care planners and managers in identifying and characterizing groups of patients with special needs and designing delivery systems that maximize patient benefit.
Graphing data for statistical analysis This representative scatterplot, with best-fit curves, compares the effectiveness of different anesthetic modes in preventing blood loss in surgery.
The NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases’ Division of Outcome Studies plays a threefold role in the Musculoskeletal Research Center: conducting epidemiologic research, teaching, and providing support for basic and clinical orthopaedic research studies.