Data will Drive the Healthcare Revolution

Abstract

In medicine, a physician's goal is to evaluate a patient's physical condition, perform tests to obtain information, synthesize that information, and, based on experience and standard medical practice, arrive at a course of treatment for that patient. Medical research tests health and medical interventions in a controlled fashion, comparing matched treatment and control groups, with the goal of identifying those interventions that provide a robust and statistically significant improvement in patient outcomes. But despite a commitment to “evidence-based medicine,” most patient care remains anecdotal at best. Even therapies certified through clinical trials often fail to perform as well outside of the initial study population and ae used “off label” in groups in which the therapy has not been rigorously tested.