Hospital Pharmacy - April 2018 - 101

746416
research-article2017

HPXXXX10.1177/0018578717746416Hospital PharmacyNewsome et al

Article

Breadth of Statistical Training
Among Pharmacy Residency
Programs Across the United States

Hospital Pharmacy
2018, Vol. 53(2) 101-106
© The Author(s) 2017
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https://doi.org/10.1177/0018578717746416
DOI: 10.1177/0018578717746416
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Cheyenne Newsome1, Keenan Ryan2, Ludmila Bakhireva2,
and Preeyaporn Sarangarm2

Abstract
Background: Pharmacy residents' knowledge of biostatistics is a self-identified deficit. Objective: To describe statistical
training practices across postgraduate year 1 (PGY1) pharmacy residency programs and correlate training practices with
residency program directors' (RPDs) confidence in their residents' statistical abilities. Methods: A 13-item survey was
sent to PGY1 RPDs and included questions regarding respondents' institution, program characteristics, type and amount
of statistical training offered and desired, as well as performance of statistics, resident project publication rates, and RPDs'
confidence in residents' statistical abilities. Results: Of the 1054 RPDs invited to participate in the survey, 202 (19.7%) surveys
were completed. Nearly 25% of PGY1 pharmacy residency programs in this sample offered no statistical training to their
residents. The most common types of training were study design considerations/selecting statistical tests (64.9%), descriptive
statistics (59.9%), and database development/data manipulation (46.6%). The majority (60.9%) of RPDs had low confidence in
their residents' abilities to perform their own statistical analysis. After adjusting for significant covariates, residents receiving
complex statistical training (odds ratio [OR]: 6.76; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.7-24.9) and a publication rate >50% (OR:
5.63; 95% CI: 1.61-19.69) were associated with higher RPD confidence in residents' abilities to perform statistical analyses.
Conclusion: The sample of programs in this survey indicates that statistical training for many residents may be limited, and
many RPDs are not confident in their residents' abilities to perform statistical analysis of research projects. Statistical training
and opportunities to enhance research skills may be an area for future growth in pharmacy residency training programs.
Keywords
residency training/programs, pharmacists, education, outcomes research

Introduction
The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists
(ASHP) requires all residency programs to include a
research project to receive accreditation.1 However, there
are a variety of factors limiting the success of residency
research projects. Residents' understanding of research
methodology and ability to perform statistical analyses are
major hindrances. Many pharmacy residents embark upon
residency research with limited prior experience in selecting
and performing statistical analyses.2 Multiple surveys of
pharmacy residents have demonstrated pharmacy residents'
knowledge of biostatistics and research study design are
self-identified deficits.2-6 In a 2004 national survey of pharmacy residents, Ellis et al found overall knowledge of biostatistics was the lowest rated skill in execution of a research
project. Moreover, the survey demonstrated that residency
experience correlated with an improvement in self-assessed
understanding of statistical tests; however, these results did

not correlate with an objective improvement in research
knowledge test scores. Residents' expectations that the residency would increase research knowledge, skills, and desire
for research involvement were also unmet.5 In a 2013 survey
of 98 pharmacy residents who attended the Western States
Conference, 39.8% rated analyzing research data as a barrier to completing and publishing research.6 Studies have
shown that the publication rates for residency research projects are only 4.3% to 16%.7-9
A strong foundation of statistical knowledge is important
for pharmacists to be successful in sharing new innovations
1

Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA

2

Corresponding Author:
Cheyenne Newsome, Department of Pharmacotherapy, College of
Pharmacy, Washington State University Spokane, PO Box 1495, Spokane,
WA 99210-1495, USA.
Email: cheyenne.newsome@wsu.edu
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