Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Demographic, economic, political and environmental changes have been taking place at a phenomenal pace, nationally and internationally. Many of these changes affect people's needs for healthcare. At the same time, the demand for health care mounts from a more informed public having access to information from on-line sources and websites. Campaigns for safe and speedy intervention determine the treatments available and those yet to enter the health care system. The twin axes of patients' safety and the personalised treatment they need require nurses and health care professionals to be confident in the use of statistics, for example, in calculating dosages in oral, liquid, tablet, intravenous, intramuscular, and subcutaneous forms. Nurses and health care professionals should be familiar with the meanings and significance of the numbers they encounter in the context of the care they provide"-- Provided by publisher.