title: Comparative health services research across populations: the unused opportunities in big data.
abstract: Large population registries present opportunities to understand the epidemiology of disease, study patters of care, and compare the effectiveness of different care practices. While these 'big data' tempt investigators to examine all available individuals, a targeted approach that restricts the study to an optimal sub-population may yield more relevant insights. We discuss how researchers might adapt their studies existing literature to generate additional insights.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: Section of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Wolfgang C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Winkelmayer
mesh_terms: D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D017582:Renal Replacement Therapy