Internal medicine residents had low scores in a test of biostatistics knowledge, and about three-fourths of the residents surveyed indicated they have low confidence in understanding the statistics they encounter in medical literature, according to an article in the September 5 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association, a theme issue on medical education.
“Physicians must keep current with clinical information to practice evidence-based medicine,” the authors write. “… to answer many of their clinical questions, physicians need to access reports of original research. This requires the reader to critically appraise the design, conduct, and analysis of each study and subsequently interpret the results.” Little is known about residents' ability to understand statistical methods or how to appropriately interpret research outcomes.
Donna M. Windish, M.D., M.P.H., of the Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., and colleagues conducted a multiprogram assessment of residents' biostatistics knowledge and interpretation of research results. The study consisted of a cross-sectional survey of 277 internal medicine residents in 11 residency programs. The survey included a biostatistics/study design multiple-choice knowledge test.
The overall average percentage correct on statistical knowledge and interpretation of results was 41.4 percent vs. 71.5 percent for fellows and general medicine faculty with research training. Higher scores in residents were associated with additional advanced degrees (50 percent vs. 40.1 percent); prior biostatistics training (45.2 percent vs. 37.9 percent); enrollment in a university-based training program (43 percent vs. 36.3 percent); and male sex (44 percent vs. 38.8 percent).