Statistics in Medicine

Abstract

This is a book which has seen four editions, so it must have some merit. The two editors are eminent academics in the USA with a background in statics and significant experience in biomedical research. They summarize the purpose of the book as ‘to teach and provide reference on statistical methods for research workers in the medical sciences’. The primary target audience of the book is medical practitioners, medical students and practicing medical researchers. Indeed, the editors demonstrate the value of the book with the quote: ‘When you treat a patient, you treat one patient. When you do research, you treat 10,000 patients’. The book proposes to guide medical and biomedical investigators in designing a study to answer carefully posed questions with appropriately chosen measures, analyse and interpret the data arising from that design, and estimate the sample size required to achieve a useful result. Indeed, its 28 chapters cover what you would expect in a medical statistics book and more in terms of its scope and detail. For example, it explores ethical issues in the conduct of medical studies, provides useful tips on designing questionnaires and surveys, and even the relationship between data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence.