Abstract
We are used to identifying risk factors, or predisposing factors, for outcomes of interest, whether those outcomes are negative or positive, using the tools of statistical modeling. We are far less accustomed to making predictions of outcomes for specific individuals or testing the accuracy of those predictions. In this commentary, we consider this more difficult task and discuss, in this context, why statistics has such difficulty talking about individuals, even as it easily informs us about populations.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 850-853 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery |
Volume | 57 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 2018 |
Keywords
- population
- predictive modeling
- risk factor
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Orthopedics and Sports Medicine