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Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare statistical knowledge of faculty who teach statistics (versus those who do not) in accredited health science schools (dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy and public health). Methods: A stratified probability sample of accredited schools was selected, and all faculty at each selected school were invited to participate in an online survey assessment of fundamental statistical topics. Results: A total of 708 faculty from 102 schools participated. The overall response rate was 6.5%. Seventeen percent of faculty who reported teaching statistics had taken two or less statistics/biostatistics courses. Among the faculty who reported teaching statistics, the average score on the eight-question, multiple-choice assessment was 84.7%, with 37.2% unable to score higher than a ‘C’ grade. Among faculty not teaching statistics, the average assessment score was 62.1%, with 77.7% unable to score higher than a ‘C’ grade. Discussion: Statistical knowledge is critical for researchers/scientists to function knowledgeably and ethically in the current evidence-based Information Age. These study results reveal limited statistical training of health educators and concerns regarding the knowledge of those same health educators responsible for instructing the next generation of health science professionals. Recommendations for addressing these issues are provided.

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