data mining

The expression, "there are three types of lies: lies, damn lies, and statistics," is attributed to Benjamin Disraeli, the U.K.’s Prime Minster from 1874 to 1880. A century and a half later, improper manipulation of statistics is pervasive.

The paper is the work of two physicians trained in internal medicine and a health economist, so they are free of bias as well as any practical knowledge about how surgeons operate, literally and figuratively.