Humans in Public Health

← Humans in Public Health11. Nov. 2025 · 19 Min.

Messy Data, Real Answers

Messy Data, Real Answers11. Nov. 202519 Min.

In a world teeming with health data—from smart watch accelerometry to millions of hospital system electronic records—how do researchers find out which medical treatments truly work? Biostatistician Rebecca Hubbard discusses the messiness of real-world data, the limits of randomized control trials and how both of these powerful—but imperfect—methods are essential for building trustworthy evidence in public health.