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Big Data Analytics: What Can Go Wrong, Sharona Hoffman
Big Data Analytics: What Can Go Wrong, Sharona Hoffman
Faculty Publications
It is not uncommon to read that long-held beliefs about medical treatments have been dislodged by new studies. For example, there is now doubt as to whether women should undergo annual mammograms, previously a cornerstone of cancer screening. Hormone replacement therapy for menopausal women, once considered highly suspect in light of worrisome research findings, is now being reconsidered as a beneficial therapy. These reversals trouble and confuse many Americans.
This Article explores why medical research findings can be erroneous and what can go wrong in the process of designing and conducting research studies. It provides readers with essential analytical tools …
The Use And Misuse Of Biomedical Data: Is Bigger Really Better?”, Sharona Hoffman, Andy Podgurski
The Use And Misuse Of Biomedical Data: Is Bigger Really Better?”, Sharona Hoffman, Andy Podgurski
Faculty Publications
Very large biomedical research databases, containing electronic health records (HER) and genomic data from millions of patients, have been heralded recently for their potential to accelerate scientific discovery and produce dramatic improvements in medical treatments. Research enabled by these databases may also lead to profound changes in law, regulation, social policy, and even litigation strategies. Yet, is “big data” necessarily better data?
This paper makes an original contribution to the legal literature by focusing on what can go wrong in the process of biomedical database research and what precautions are necessary to avoid critical mistakes. We address three main reasons …