But what if the ref can't decide because the data is duff?
Hsiang said this might be because the data is smoothed to give long-term trends.
Because the data is stored magnetically, exposure to nearby magnetic fields (including other floppies) can cause problems as well.
Just because the data is published doesn't mean that citizens will access it or find it useful.
He said: "The employment figures have held up well despite Brexit because the data is a rolling three-month figure.
But it's difficult to draw similar conclusions about Britain or France because the data is so patchy.
"We can't pretend that intercepting an undersea cable filled with the world's internet traffic doesn't affect privacy simply because the data is held and analysed by computers.
Mr. Nathan, the UnitedHealth spokesman, said, "We don't think there is a conflict of interest," because the data is supplied to Ingenix by various insurers.
Because the data is not kept as carefully, Guard and Reserve suicide totals are undercounted, he said.
Beyond the raw statistics, it's difficult to sort out why the numbers are climbing, because the data is not being authoritatively compiled.
And because the data is in the electronic system, it is easy to assume that the information is as reliable as the patients themselves, if not more so.
