Researchers use statistics to see patterns of diseases in groups of people. Statistics are data that have been analyzed and summarized. Statistical information is presented as text, figures, graphs, or maps.
Key features of health statistics:
- Population based
- Measure a wide range of health indicators
- Often collected and analyzed over a period of time
- Include different types of data
- Vital (birth, death, marriage, divorce)
- Morbidity & mortality
- Use and cost of health care
- Epidemiology
