Reading Comprehension

Frazier and Mosteller assert that medical resarch could be improved by a move toward larger, simpler clinical traicals of medical treatments. Currently, researchers collect far more background information on patients than is strictly required for their trials -substantially more than hospitals collect- thereby escalating costs of data collection, storage, and analysis. Although limiting information coellection could increase the risk that reserchers will overlook facts relevant to a study, Frazier and Mosteller contend that such rick, never entirely eliminable from research, would still be small in most studies. Only in research on entirely new treatments are new and unexpected variables likely to arise.
Frazier and Mosteller propose not only that resarchers limit data collection on individual pationts but also that researchers enroll more pationts in clinical trials, therby optaining a more representative sample of the total population to pationts who have no ailments besides those being studied. A treatment judged successful under these ideal conditions can then be evaluated under normal conditions. Broadening the range of trial participants, Frazier and Mosteller suggest, would enable researchers to evaluate a treatment's efficacy for fiverse pationts under various conditions and to evaluate its effectiveness for different patient subgroups. Fro example, the value of a treatment for a progressive disease may vary according to a patient's stage of disease. Pationts' ages may also affect a treatment's efficay.



1. According to the passage, Frazier and Mosteller believe which of the following about medical research?

A) It is seriously flawed as presently conducted because researchers overlook facts that are relevant to the subject of their research.
B) It tends to benefit certain subgroups of pationts disproportionately.
C) It routinely reveals new variables in research on entriely new treatments.
D) It can be made more accurate by limiting the amount of information researchers collect.
E) It cannot be freed of the risk that signigicant variables may be overlooked.


I answered as [spoiler]D but, the right answer was [spoiler]B.
[/spoiler]

It seems to me that the answer you picked, Answer D, can be eliminated based on the structure of the first paragraph. We are told that, indeed, F and M want to limit the amount of data taken, but they want to do so in order to cut down on unnecessary spending. Additionally, F and M seem to acknowledge that there will be risks, a negative associated having with less data. There is no causal link between taking less information and being more accurate. This answer choice is subtle but wrong.

Meanwhile, the second paragraph tells us F and M want to utilize a more representative portion of the population in order to improve the "effectiveness" of treating certain ailments. This idea is nicely represented in the correct answer, Answer choice B.

very old thread, but can anyone explain why not E? Last couple of lines of first paragraph says the same.

Though i also choose E, i think the reason it is incorrect is that E talks about variables whereas passage talks about risks that may not entirely elliminable.

I also selected E. I don't see that author suggest special benefits to sub-group who are part of the medical research.

1st para's last line seem to suggest that gathering data can never be accurate which means that risk of ignoring information always exist

If I were to answer this question in a time crunch , I would go with B for the following reasons.

A) seriously flawed
B) tends to benefit
C) routinely reveals ----> (passage says unexpected variables arises during new treatments)
D) more accurate
E) cannot be freed

All incorrect choices have some extreme language, which GMAT does n't prefer unless it is supported by the passage.

I think problem with C is that it mentions "routinely" where as passage does not mentions anything about the frequency of revealing.
smackmartine: seems you are relating "routinely" with "unexpected" however they are are used in different context, unexpected here is not used as a indicator of frequency but to show that reaseach reveals some variables which were not expected.

In E, passage states that risks originating from reducing the variables cannot be eliminated. However, E says that research cannot be freed of the risk that significant variables may be overlooked. Subtle change in meaning.

B is the only option left but i am not able to completely comprehend the role of "disproportionately". I know it means "out of proportion" or "excessive" but how it is related in the passage. I have requested Ron to share his views.

vikram4689 wrote:I think problem with C is that it mentions "routinely" where as passage does not mentions anything about the frequency of revealing.
smackmartine: seems you are relating "routinely" with "unexpected" however they are are used in different context, unexpected here is not used as a indicator of frequency but to show that reaseach reveals some variables which were not expected.

In E, passage states that risks originating from reducing the variables cannot be eliminated. However, E says that research cannot be freed of the risk that significant variables may be overlooked. Subtle change in meaning.

B is the only option left but i am not able to completely comprehend the role of "disproportionately". I know it means "out of proportion" or "excessive" but how it is related in the passage. I have requested Ron to share his views.

You are correct.

But remember I mentioned that if I were under time crunch , say 1 min to go! I would go with sentence which is neutral in tone ,and I would avoid all extreme answers.I have highlighted only extreme words. I did not even highlight option C because I knew I may be missing some point. Whatever I mentioned was more from guessing perspective. An expert and many others have already given their expert comments.