A. STATISTICS CAN BE VERY DECEIVING. IN THIS CASE, BASED ONLY ON T...

12. a. Statistics can be very deceiving. In this case, based only on the numbers, St. Mary’s seems like asafer place to undergo heart surgery. But what you do not know about St. Mary’s and St. Vincent’scan lead you to make a poor choice. If St. Vincent’s specializes in heart surgery for elderly and high-risk patients (choice a), then it is logical that it would have a higher rate of mortality among itspatients. Indeed, given this fact, the difference in mortality rates may make a case for going to St. Vin-cent’s instead of St. Mary’s. Assuming you are not an elderly or high-risk patient, to make aninformed choice, you would need statistics about St. Vincent’s mortality rates for surgery on patientswho are not elderly or high risk. Up-to-date equipment is important (choice b), but the condition ofthe patients prior to surgery and the skill of the surgeons are more important considerations. Thefact that St. Vincent’s has the best heart surgeon in the country (choice c) is compelling, but it doesnot contradict the statistics. The payment options (choice d) are irrelevant if you do not survive thesurgery, and there can be many reasons why the doctors who worked at St. Mary’s are now at St. Vin-cent’s (choice e), so you cannot consider this factor without more information.