Biostatistics
"No human investigation can be called true science without passing through mathematical tests."
Leonardo daVinci [1452-1519] Treatise on Painting, Chap. 1 (tr. by Jean Paul Richter)
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts--for support rather than illumination."
Andrew Lang [1844-1912]
"Statistics are somewhat like old medical journals, or like revolvers in newly opened mining districts. Most men rarely use them, and find it troublesome to preserve them so as to have them easy of access; but when they do want them, they want them badly."
John Shaw Billings [1838-1913] Medical Record 36:589, 1889
Books
Books about Statistics and Statistical Methods are mostly in the WA950 section of medical library collections, but also appear in HA29, QA276, QH323, WA105. See also the UMKC School of Medicine's Medical Biostatistics course.
There are many books containing statistics about health care, including:
- HSL Ready Ref GN56 .I61r Reference Man (contains statistics on almost every part of the human body)
- HSL Ready Ref HA202 .A3 Statistical Abstract of the United States
- HSL Ready Ref WX16 .A5121 AHA Hospital Statistics
- HSL Ref HA17 .D45 Demographic Yearbook
- HSL Ref W76 .P5781 Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S.
- HSL Ref W100 .S724 Source Book of Health Insurance Data
- HSL Res WA108 .H462 Healthy People 2000
- HSL WT30 .M4893 Medicare Hospital Mortality Information
- Sage Publications: there are many books from Sage Publications in the Health Sciences Library concerning specific statistical methods.
If you don't find what you need, visit (or call or email) your librarian.
Journals
Three serial publications available in the Health Sciences Library are of particular interest for their statistical and epidemiological information:
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Databases
MEDLINE, a bibliographic index of over 3500 medical journals; HSTAR, an index of Health Services/Technology Assessment Research; and POPLINE, a database of literature on populations, demographics, and family planning are databases rich in health statistics and epidemiology information. Consult your librarian for information about other potential sources of statistical information. The Technical Learning Center in the School of Medicine also has statistical software packages for student use.
MEDLINE Search Hint
Statistics and epidemiologic methods MeSH (Medical Subject Headings) appear in great numbers in the E5, G3, and H1 trees. It is possible to search for all journal articles indexed to the term "Markov chains," for example, to find articles about this statistical method. Remember also such subheadings as "epidemiology," "statistics & numerical data," "supply & distribution," "trends," and "utilization" for quantitative and statistical treatments of medical subjects.
For more MEDLINE information, read the
Medline Search Guide or consult your librarian.
Internet Resources--World Wide Web
Be sure to see the UMKC School of Medicine's Medical Biostatistics course. Dr. Cuddy's presentation on Evaluating Literature Actively includes information on evaluating statistics in research articles. Other sites of interest include:
To locate additional resources, check the Medical Matrix.
Updated 9/97 by pfannenstiel@cctr.umkc.edu