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== Outlier ==

'''Outlier''' (/ˈaʊtˌlaɪər/) is a term used in statistics to describe a data point that significantly differs from other observations. An outlier may be due to variability in the data or it may indicate experimental error; the latter are sometimes excluded from the data set.

=== Etymology ===

The term "outlier" was first used in this context by mathematician Francis Galton in the late 19th century. It is derived from the English words "out" and "lier", meaning "one who lies outside".

=== Related Terms ===

* [[Standard Deviation]]: A measure of the amount of variation or dispersion of a set of values.
* [[Mean]]: The average value of a set of numbers.
* [[Median]]: The middle value in a set of numbers.
* [[Mode]]: The value that appears most frequently in a data set.
* [[Range]]: The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.
* [[Variance]]: A measurement of the spread between numbers in a data set.

=== Usage in Medical Field ===

In the medical field, an outlier can refer to a patient whose health outcomes, condition severity, or treatment costs significantly differ from the average. Identifying outliers can help in detecting medical errors, fraud, and other anomalies. It can also assist in improving patient care by identifying areas where the standard treatment protocol may not be effective.

=== See Also ===

* [[Data Analysis]]
* [[Statistical Analysis]]
* [[Biostatistics]]
* [[Epidemiology]]

[[Category:Statistics]]
[[Category:Medical Terminology]]
[[Category:Data Analysis]]

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