Tuesday, October 17, 2006

A Statistically Valid Sample?

Every year, US News and World Report lists the top hospitals in the country. Everyone in the health care field knows that the methodology used in this survey has no statistical or scientific validity, but everyone wants to be at the top of the list!

Here's a story on efforts by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to try to score well in this annual survey. We wish them well, especially because their former Chief of Medicine is now Chief of Medicine here at BIDMC. So if they get highly ranked, based on his many years of fine work there, we will share in their pleasure.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

If everyone in the health care industry knows that the US News & World Report hospital rankings are based on questionable methodology, why does everyone continue to participate? Why don't you do what some colleges and universities have done and refuse to fill out the forms to be listed?

Anonymous said...

Because everyone hopes to get to the top of the list . . . .

Anonymous said...

Doesn't seem grumpy to me . . .

:))