Introduction to Statistical Reasoning

ever, the survey necessarily gathered a considerable amount of additional information on the medical and socioeconomic characteristics of the patients. The report thus contains this information as well as the detailed analyses of the data bearing directly on the survey's goals; both should have, and will undoubtedly receive, careful attention. On the basis of their findings the authors suggest that for those patients who no longer require hospital care, the "logical solution calls for the establishment of institutions specially designed." They also suggest that for the municipal hospitals, the "separation of the patients into the acutely ill, chronically ill and custodial, with the designation of appropriate facilities for each, should . . . be of benefit to the hospital staffs and the patients." There are, of course, students of medical care who would dispute these proposed solutions. But there can be no argument with the well presented data, some of which are surprising. Though the survey was limited to a specific hospital situation, both its findings and the questions these raise are of general import to the field of medical care. The report will be studied closely, for it constitutes a major contribution. SIGMUND L. FRIEDMAN