Which Treatment Is Better? A randomized controlled trial was designed to compare the effectiveness of splinting against surgery in the treatment of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Results are given in the table below (based on data from “Splinting vs.

Surgery in the Treatment of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome,” by Gerritsen et al., Journal of the American Medical Association, Vol. 288, No. 10). The results are based on evaluations made one year after the treatment. Using a 0.01 significance level, test the claim that success is independent of the type of treatment. What do the results suggest about treating carpal tunnel syndrome?

Sample from subject Sample from subject with bladder cancer without bladder cancer Dog identified subject as cancerous 22 32 Dog did not identify subject as cancerous 32 282 Guilty Plea Not Guilty Plea Sent to prison 392 58 Not sent to prison 564 14 Based on data from “Does It Pay to Plead Guilty? Differential Sentencing and the Functioning of the Criminal Courts,” by Brereton and Casper, Law and Society Review, Vol. 16, No. 1.

Successful Treatment Unsuccessful Treatment Splint treatment 60 23 Surgery treatment 67 6 11-3 Contingency Tables: Independence and Homogeneity 619