Shipman's statistical legacy |
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| Authors: | David Spiegelhalter Nicky Best |
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| Affiliation: | David Spiegelhalter is a Senior Scientist at the MRC Biostatistics Unit in Cambridge. Nicky Best is a Reader in Statistics and Epidemiology, at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Imperial College London. Part of their research work involves statistical methods for detecting divergent performance, and both have given evidence to the Bristol Royal Infirmary and the Shipman Inquiries. |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
Harold Shipman, who in January committed suicide in prison, has become notorious the world over as one of the most prolific serial killers of all time. His case has also seriously dented public confidence in doctors. David Spiegelhalter and Nicky Best explain how industrial quality control techniques could be adapted to signal when death rates among a doctor's patients are surprisingly high, and the tricky issues that would arise in implementing such a monitoring system. |
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