Big data enables use of artificial intelligence algorithms. Image by Macrovector. Licensed from iStockphoto.com.
Size matters when it comes to research, as illustrated by recent debates about whether hydroxychloroquine is effective against COVID-19.
Some small studies showed it was effective while others showed it wasn’t. The studies couldn’t arrive at a definitive answer because they didn’t enroll enough patients to reach sufficient statistical “power.”
More relevant results are only now beginning to emerge as higher-powered data has become available from studies enrolling more patients.
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