Re: Statistical analysis of anonymous databases

[tcmay@got.net (Timothy C. May)]

At 8:12 PM 5/29/96, Alan Horowitz wrote:
>I would ask, is there any known medical gain that has resulted from
>such a data-base correllation.
>
>I do not accept a researcher's own statements as to the utility of the work
>(S)he's done with someone's funding.  Seen too much of it at close
>quarters...   Nor do I accept reeports in the lay press - these are
>nothing more than re-gurgitated press releases from PR depts of institutions.

Separating out issues of privacy, and addressing only your basic point
about a "known medical gain that has resulted from such a data-base
correllation," there are many obvious correlations which have been
discovered by use of various data in data bases.

The increased prevalence of sickle cell anemia in blacks, the increased
prevalence of Tay-Sachs in Jews....all of these things are well-established
(and important for dealing with health issues of these groups...that is, it
is important and beneficial that someone made such correlations).

Back to privacy issues. I am not arguing that the privacy wishes,
contractually agreed to, of a patient be ignored. I am simply refuting your
point that no medical gain has come from data base correlations.

As to the "lay press," I read some issues of "Nature," "Science," "New
Scientist," "Discover," and "Scientific American," the journals in which
the scientists speak more or less directly, and I am convinced that
statistical inference from data bases is indeed a powerful tool.

(I am not saying that the privacy wishes and contractual language of
patients is to be ignored on this basis, only saying that statistical
inference is indeed valuable. So valuable, in fact, that the
libertarian/cypherpunk solution is for patients to "sell" this
information.)

--Tim May




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