"a number of Irish hospitals have higher than average deaths due to heart attacks and strokes"

[Brendan Burgess]

I have just heard this on the RTE News.

Three hospitals were identified for having more deaths due to strokes than average.
Three more were identified for having more deaths due to strokes than average.

Unbelievable.

At least the online report names the three best hospitals as well.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2015/0305/684773-department-of-health-hospital-deaths/

And puts the statistics in context:

There are many factors that can influence the rates including complexity of cases; if a hospital is a major referral centre and socio-economic factors linked to location.

Items like this should not be reported on in the news if they do not give enough time to explain the significance of the figures.


Brendan

 

[Ceist Beag]

100% agree Brendan. Obviously with any average you will have some higher than average and some lower! It was such a pointless story to run with unless they were able to explain the significance of naming those three hospitals. Very poor from RTE.

 

[Gerry Canning]

Maybe the moral is.

Have your stoke at home and live ?

ps.Also saves beds?

 

[ajapale]

The moral of the story is that many journalists and subeditors are mathematically ignorant.

The sad thing is that these media (mostly print but also broadcast) push very hard for such things as league tables for schools or other inappropriate metrics in the health sector in order to sell their product.

To illustrate:

75% of AAM moderators have below average IQ.

AJ 100
Leo 100
Marion 100
Brendan 150


In fairness the actual health report referenced is well written with some excellent graphics and tables. The damage is done when the information is distorted through the lens of these the reporters.

 

[mathepac]

The media refuse to let full factual reporting get in the way of a sound byte.

 

[Brendan Burgess]

75% of AAM moderators have below average IQ.

AJ 100
Leo 100
Marion 100
Brendan 150

Thanks for the compliment, but I don't follow it?

 

[mathepac]

Based on the sample size of 4 the average IQ of the group is 112.50. Three moderators, or 75% of the sample are below the average but well within the normal distribution for IQ tests as defined here

Lies, damned lies and mis-used "statistics".

 

[Brendan Burgess]

Thanks. Why do people not appreciate my best posts?

 

[ajapale]

Read the full report here: https://www.rte.ie/documents/news/nhqrs-annual-report-2014.pdf and avoid the media induced distortions.

Does anyone know if the report covers private hospitals or is it public hospitals only?

 

[Purple]

Thanks. Why do people not appreciate my best posts?

I got it