Annex A > Chapter 19 - Statistics Relating to the Clinical Performance of Paediatric Cardiac Surgical Services in Bristol Compared with Other Specialist Centres during the Period 1984 to 1995 > Section three: the principal conclusions of the Inquiry's Experts on statistics

Section three: the principal conclusions of the Inquiry's Experts on statistics

98 The Inquiry commissioned its Experts on statistics to advise on the following:

• `the quality and reliability of key statistical sources, both individually and overall; to include comment on whether or not any of the sources approach "gold standard" quality;
• `the validity of the analytical and statistical assumptions used in analysing and synthesising key statistical sources; to include comment on classification errors, adjustment for surgical risk and case mix, and estimation of excess deaths;
• `the overall statistical pattern emerging across sources; to include comment on the strength and consistency of statistical signals, and whether, and the extent to which, these are consistent with published research evidence;
• `the overall reliability, scientific robustness and degree of confidence attaching to statistical evidence to the Inquiry; to include comment on whether, how, and the extent to which, reliable conclusions can be drawn from flawed statistical sources;
• `valid conclusions relevant to the Inquiry's remit, if any, that can be drawn from the statistical evidence;
• `any emerging broad lessons for the future.'

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