Systematic selection bias: A cause of dramatic errors in the inference of treatment effectiveness

Our understanding of the world around us is derived from our observations. The accuracy of our inferences depends on the representativeness of those observations. Selection bias limits the accuracy of our inferences. Systematic selection bias occurs when the particular outcome observed caused the ob...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of dermatological treatment 2008, Vol.19 (2), p.68-71
Main Authors: Dawn, Aerlyn G., Balkrishnan, Rajesh, Feldman, Steven R.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Algorithms
Biological and medical sciences
Dermatology
Epidemiology
health care delivery
health services research
Humans
Medical sciences
office surgery
regulations
Research Design
Selection Bias
Skin involvement in other diseases. Miscellaneous. General aspects
Treatment Outcome
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Our understanding of the world around us is derived from our observations. The accuracy of our inferences depends on the representativeness of those observations. Selection bias limits the accuracy of our inferences. Systematic selection bias occurs when the particular outcome observed caused the observation; this type of bias can lead to dramatic errors in inference. We describe examples of selection bias, provide a mathematical formulation of the systematic selection bias phenomenon, and discuss how biased observations may affect people's impressions of important issues in dermatology.
ISSN:0954-6634
1471-1753
DOI:10.1080/09546630701870780