PHO Talks – “How to get the most out of your data” (Trevor van Ingen)

Our latest PHO Talk focuses on society’s increased desire for more data in all areas of our lives, and the importance of being purposeful and considering the “why” of data collection.

Trevor examines examples of misleading conclusions and the expectations of results surrounding data collection. He provides historical examples of data collection and their public health impacts to argue that epidemiological analyses are most successful when there is a good understanding of why data is needed and how it will be used.

About the Speaker

Trevor is an Epidemiologist Lead within the Analytic Services team, and has worked on many PHO resources related to analytics. He does not own a smart scale, and does not wish to.

About PHO Talks Speaker Series

Launched in 2017, PHO Talks is a speaker series that features some of the brightest minds at PHO. PHO staff explore various public health topics and share their ideas aimed at driving innovation in the sector.

Check out some of our other talks from this year:

• “The Future of Environmental Stewardship” – Dr. Elaina MacIntyre explores the evidence linking human and ecosystem health and the importance of restoring balance between us and natural world.
• “LEAN starts with People” – Katarina Goenadi explores how she used LEAN to improve the coordination and distribution of specimen container kits that are used for testing across Ontario.
• “Why are people against health?” – Justin Thielman discusses how an individual’s personal value systems may sometimes compete against their own health.