Subject: K-12 Education Examples

Posted by Michael Round on 9/16/2009
In Reply To:K-12 Education Examples Posted by Philip Abode on 9/16/2009

Message:

You're right! Inquiring minds DO want to know this! According to my first read of the article:

1 blacks tend to be more sick than whites when entering the hospital.
2 if that's the case, and if CA takes place in the hospital,
3 then blacks die at a higher rate than whites.

This makes perfect sense to me. However, according to the researchers, it only accounts for 30% of the difference, Already, the headline seems a bit biased. The headline places blame within the hospital, when right here the researchers say at least 30% of the reason lies outside the hospital!

But we continue ...

another 30%, according to the researchers .

4 blacks tend to go to urban hospitals, which are convenient,
5 and if urban hospitals ____________________,
6 then blacks die at a higher rate than whites.

5 is intentionally left blank. The article doesn't say why. They checked care. They checked techniques. They could find no difference They hypothesized whites may be more likely to have signed DNRs, and so care was terminated earlier for whites than blacks, and the "sameness" in the data may result from extra -but futile - effort going into reviving blacks. Just a hypothesis. Somehow, however, the researchers were able to ascribe 30% to "hospital care".

This leaves 40% they have no idea about.

Which leaves much to speculation.

Things not left to speculation. Why do blacks enter the hospital more sick than whites? Do demographics play a role? For example, does the data include lots of young white people likely to survive, while the black data is for older folks not as likely to survive?

Tons of research to go, all from just reading the article! Lots of speculation, hypothesis, etc.! No knowledge of any unique thinking processes, just trying to understand what the article is saying, what it's not saying, etc., and laying it out for examination, criticism, etc!

Your thoughts?

Thanks

Mike Round

Follow Ups:

K-12 Education Examples - bbracey 9/16/2009