Absent Quote by Austin Bradford Hill
“The statistical method is required in the interpretation of figures which are at the mercy of numerous influences, and its object is to determine whether individual influences can be isolated and their effects measured. The essence of the method lies in the determination that we are really comparing like with like, and that we have not overlooked a relevant factor which is present in Group A and absent from Group B. The variability of human beings in their illnesses and in their reactions to them is a fundamental reason for the planned clinical trial and not against it.”
About This Quote
Statistical methods ensure fair comparison by controlling for confounding factors, especially in clinical trials.
In simple terms: Statistics help compare like with like.
Key Takeaway
Use proper analysis to isolate effects.
Themes
science
statistics
clinical trials
Mood
analytical
critical
Type
explanatory
technical
When to use this quote
- medical research
- policy decisions
- product testing
Key Concepts
experimental design
confounding
causality
Questions to Reflect On
- What factors could be overlooked in a study?
- How can we improve trial design?
A Different Perspective
Complex models may still miss hidden variables.
![“A review of seventy-four clinical trials of antidepressants, for example, found that thirty-seven of thirty-eight positive studies [that praised the drugs] were published. But of the thirty-six negative studies, thirty-three were either not published or published in a form that conveyed a positive…” quote by Marcia Angell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/1cb/marcia-angell-19102_antidepressants_a-review-of-seventy-four-clinical-trials_2205018.jpg)
![“When a drug comes out [that's broadly prescribed] there are going to start to be a lot of people on it [in a million person cohort] and you might get therefore an early signal of something unexpected that hadn't come through in the clinical trials. And I'm sure [drug companies] would love it if…” quote by Francis Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/dda/francis-collins-5281_able_when-a-drug-comes-out-that-s-broadly-pre_408526.jpg)
