Teaching Through Collaboration: Lessons from Clinical and Translational Science for Biostatisticians and Teachers of Statistics in the Health Sciences

• Activity Number: 348
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 : 10:30 AM to 12:20 PM
• Sponsor: Section on Teaching of Statistics in the Health Sciences
• Author(s): Christopher Lindsell*+ and Leah Welty*+ and Melissa Begg*+ and Thomas Love*+ and Mary Putt*+
• Companies: University of Cincinnati and Northwestern University and Columbia University and Case Western Reserve University and University of Pennsylvania
• Keywords: Teaching ; Education ; Collaboration ; Clinical Research ; Research Design ; Clinical and Translational Science Award

Abstract

Physicians, nurses and allied health professionals must be informed consumers of literature underpinning their practice, and many seek to contribute new knowledge through research and evidence generating medicine. Every interaction of statisticians and clinicians provides an opportunity for education. The National Institutes of Health Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) promote training the next generation of clinical and translational researchers in principles of statistics and research design not only in the classroom but also in the work environment and through research study teams. Panelists will discuss effective ways of using consultation and collaboration as a vehicle for training in methodological principles underlying research, communicating clearly with interdisciplinary teams, and bridging disconnects between statistical education and practice. Examples include teaching too little or too much, implementing reproducible research and interpreting data in meaningful ways. Applications of teaching through collaboration and consultation in diverse environments ranging from community health to emergency medicine will be discussed.