Cognition of and Demand for Education and Teaching in Medical Statistics in China: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background
Although a substantial number of studies focus on the teaching and application of medical statistics in China, few studies comprehensively evaluate the recognition of and demand for medical statistics. In addition, the results of these various studies differ and are insufficiently comprehensive and systematic.
Objectives
This investigation aimed to evaluate the general cognition of and demand for medical statistics by undergraduates, graduates, and medical staff in China.
Methods
We performed a comprehensive database search related to the cognition of and demand for medical statistics from January 2007 to July 2014 and conducted a meta-analysis of non-controlled studies with sub-group analysis for undergraduates, graduates, and medical staff.
Results
There are substantial differences with respect to the cognition of theory in medical statistics among undergraduates (73.5%), graduates (60.7%), and medical staff (39.6%). The demand for theory in medical statistics is high among graduates (94.6%), undergraduates (86.1%), and medical staff (88.3%). Regarding specific statistical methods, the cognition of basic statistical methods is higher than of advanced statistical methods. The demand for certain advanced statistical methods, including (but not limited to) multiple analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple linear regression, and logistic regression, is higher than that for basic statistical methods. The use rates of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software and statistical analysis software (SAS) are only 55% and 15%, respectively.
Conclusion
The overall statistical competence of undergraduates, graduates, and medical staff is insufficient, and their ability to practically apply their statistical knowledge is limited, which constitutes an unsatisfactory state of affairs for medical statistics education. Because the demand for skills in this area is increasing, the need to reform medical statistics education in China has become urgent.

背景 尽管国内已有大量研究聚焦于医学统计学的教学与应用，但鲜有研究能够全面评估本科生、研究生及医务人员对医学统计学的认知水平与实际需求。此外，现有同类研究的结论存在差异，且整体不够全面系统。
目的 本研究旨在评估我国本科生、研究生及医务人员对医学统计学的整体认知水平与实际需求。
方法 本研究检索了2007年1月至2014年7月期间所有与医学统计学认知及需求相关的文献，并针对本科生、研究生及医务人员群体，对非对照研究开展荟萃分析与亚组分析。
结果 本科生、研究生及医务人员对医学统计学理论的认知率分别为73.5%、60.7%与39.6%，三者存在显著差异；三类群体对医学统计学理论的需求率均较高，其中研究生为94.6%，本科生为86.1%，医务人员为88.3%。就具体统计方法而言，受试者对基础统计方法的认知率高于高级统计方法；但针对多元方差分析（ANOVA）、多元线性回归及logistic回归等部分高级统计方法的需求率，却高于基础统计方法。社会科学统计软件包（Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, SPSS）与统计分析系统（Statistical Analysis System, SAS）的使用率仅分别为55%与15%。
结论 我国本科生、研究生及医务人员的整体统计能力仍存在不足，且统计学知识的实际应用能力有限，这一现状对医学统计学教育而言难言理想。随着该领域技能需求的持续增长，我国医学统计学教育改革的紧迫性日益凸显。