boston10_waseem

Teaching a statistical program in emergency medicine research rotations: Commanddriven or click-driven? Muhammad Waseem, MD Research Director Emergency Medicine Lincoln Medical & Mental Health Center Bronx, New York

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Disclosure • Financial disclosures: None

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Background • Stata is a command-driven program • It is a general-purpose statistical software package used by people of different backgrounds and professional disciplines • Most Stata users are non-physicians 3

Background • No matter which book you choose or which course you attend…. • Since Stata is used by people in many fields, most training programs offered are geared toward programmers and non-physicians 4

Background • Although Stata has simple commands, these may be difficult for non-programmers to use • Generally, physicians are familiar with “clicking on” rather than writing commands 5

Background • Research is an important part of curriculum of emergency medicine residency training • A Research Project is necessary for graduation of EM residents

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Background • In order to fulfill this requirement EM residents have a mandatory research rotation

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Background • ACGME fully accredited 3 year Emergency Medicine Residency Training Program • 33 EM residents (11 / year)

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EM Research Rotation • Formulating a research question • Basic research design • Protocol writing and submission to IRB • Data Collection • Basic statistical concepts 9

EM Research Rotation • Data recording • Data entry • Data analysis

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Background • First step is to organize the raw data into a format which is compatible with Stata

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Objectives • Does introduction of a Statistical program (such as Stata) improve the accuracy of data recording and data entry?

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Methods • Design: Observational

• Setting: Emergency Department of an Urban Teaching Hospital • Participants: Emergency Medicine Residents 13

Methods • Research Elective – Two blocks of 14 days each – 1-2 per month (1:1 learning)

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Methods • Emergency Medicine Stata Manual describing basic operation of Stata created with version 10

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Methods • This manual was developed keeping in mind the needs of in-training Emergency Medicine Residents • EM residents may have some basic knowledge of statistics but no knowledge of Stata – Emphasis on data entry and data import 16

Emergency Medicine Stata Manual • Just an introduction designed for first time users

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Methods • Teaches EM residents the essential skills for successful data entry and data import to Stata

• Purpose is to reduce the number of incorrect entries and make the data set usable to Stata • Hands-on experience using Stata

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Methods • Strengths – Tailored to the needs of a specific audience (EM residents) – Discusses only simple and basic operation of Stata

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Methods • Weaknesses – Tailored to the needs of a specific rotation (EM residents research elective) – Does not teach residents detailed statistical analysis – Does not discuss programming 20

Methods • Keep it simple

• Utilize pull-down menus (rather than commands) – No discussion on commands

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Methods • Getting started

• Stata screen • 4 Windows, 9 Tabs

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Methods • 4 Windows – Review – Variables – Results – Command 24

Methods • 9 Tabs

• File, Edit, Prefs, Data, Graphics, Statistics, User, Window, and Help

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Methods • Basic commands with pull-down menus Describe and summarize data • Data input and output Data Import Saving files 27

Methods • Describe data

• Data editor • Data browser

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Conclusions • Basic operation of Stata can be learned quickly by EM residents

• Teaching Stata to the EM residents expanded their research related knowledge • Providing introduction of Stata prior to data entry improve accuracy of data recording and facilitates data analysis 31

Limitations • Observational study – No standardized method

• Small sample

• Single center study

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Implications • It is necessary to develop a training program that addresses the needs of physicians

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Acknowledgement • Biostatistics Course (2009) Weill Medical College of Cornell University New York

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