What are some examples of sampling bias in healthcare?

What are some examples of sampling bias in healthcare?

Sampling bias occurs when certain groups are overrepresented or underrepresented in a sample. For example, if a study on heart disease only includes participants from affluent neighborhoods, it may not accurately reflect the prevalence of the disease in lower-income areas.

Can you give me another example?

Sure! Another example is a clinical trial for a new medication that only includes male participants. This could lead to biased results that don't apply to women, who may respond differently to the treatment.

How does this affect healthcare outcomes?

It can lead to ineffective treatments for underrepresented groups, worsening health disparities and making it difficult to generalize findings to the entire population.

What can be done to reduce sampling bias?

To reduce sampling bias, researchers can ensure diverse participant recruitment, use stratified sampling methods, and analyze data for potential biases.