Data may change over time, showing a trend or drift towards a particular outcome. It is important to understand what factors may have contributed to the trend before reaching conclusions about its significance.
Factors that may contribute to data drift:
(1) a change in the composition of the population
(2) an outcome due to an action or intervention
(3) a change in awareness or attention
(4) a change in understanding or interpretation
(5) an error in how the data is collected or handled
(6) trying to "game" the system, moving towards something desirable and/or away from something unpleasant
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