Statistical decision theory can be a valuable tool when considering the results of a statistical analysis for health policy decisions. In this paper, we review brieey the history of decision theory in statistics, and introduce methods for eliciting loss functions to be used when two parties with possibly connicting interests need to reach a decision. We illustrate the methods with examples conc...

Jonathan L. Levinsohn(1),(2),(3), Jeffrey L. Sugarman(4), Kaya Bilguvar(1),(5), Jennifer M. McNiff(2),(3), The Yale Center for Mendelian Genomics, and Keith A. Choate(1),(2),(3) (1)Department of Genetics, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (2)Department of Pathology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (3)Department of Dermatology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut (4)Departments...

We quantitatively investigated the eighth century heavy metal pollution in Heijo-kyo (Ancient Nara), the first large, international city of Japan. In this metropolis, mercury, copper, and lead levels in soil were increased by urban activity and by the construction of the Great Buddha statue, Nara Daibutsu. Mercury and copper pollution associated with the construction of the statue was particula...

A number of studies have recently shown an association between particle concentrations in outdoor air and daily mortality counts in urban locations. In the public health interpretation of this evidence, a key issue is whether the increased mortality associated with higher pollution levels is restricted to very frail persons for whom life expectancy is short in the absence of pollution. This pos...