What statistical analysis technique is typically used to summarize data characteristics, such as means and frequencies?

Descriptive statistics is the appropriate technique for summarizing data characteristics, such as means and frequencies. This approach focuses on presenting and summarizing data in a meaningful way, allowing for a quick understanding of the underlying patterns in the data set.

For instance, when managing healthcare information systems, descriptive statistics can help healthcare professionals comprehend patient demographics, treatment outcomes, and utilization rates effectively. By using measures such as the mean, median, mode, and frequency distributions, stakeholders can gather insights about the population they serve without making any assumptions beyond the data itself.

In contrast, techniques like qualitative analysis focus on non-numerical data to understand concepts, opinions, or experiences, while inferential statistics are used to draw conclusions and make predictions about a population based on sample data. Regression analysis, on the other hand, examines the relationship between variables but is not primarily concerned with simple data summarization. Thus, for summarization purposes, descriptive statistics is the clear and correct choice.