What makes a biostatistician?

Zapf, Antonia; Huebner, Marianne; Rauch, Geraldine; Kieser, Meinhard

doi:10.1002/sim.7998

Cited by 19 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…The importance of developing soft skills (e.g., communication, interpersonal skills, etc.) is also addressed in this section [22,23]. Table 1A-C is organized using these three broad areas, with sub-topics, to allow for training of specific skills.…”

Section: Training For the Biostatistics Collaboration Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Methods for training collaborative biostatisticians

Pomann

Boulware

Cayetano

et al. 2020

J. Clin. Trans. Sci.

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The emphasis on team science in clinical and translational research increases the importance of collaborative biostatisticians (CBs) in healthcare. Adequate training and development of CBs ensure appropriate conduct of robust and meaningful research and, therefore, should be considered as a high-priority focus for biostatistics groups. Comprehensive training enhances clinical and translational research by facilitating more productive and efficient collaborations. While many graduate programs in Biostatistics and Epidemiology include training in research collaboration, it is often limited in scope and duration. Therefore, additional training is often required once a CB is hired into a full-time position. This article presents a comprehensive CB training strategy that can be adapted to any collaborative biostatistics group. This strategy follows a roadmap of the biostatistics collaboration process, which is also presented. A TIE approach (Teach the necessary skills, monitor the Implementation of these skills, and Evaluate the proficiency of these skills) was developed to support the adoption of key principles. The training strategy also incorporates a “train the trainer” approach to enable CBs who have successfully completed training to train new staff or faculty.

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Section: Training For the Biostatistics Collaboration Processmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…5. Practice soft skills such as explaining using storytelling or analogies[22,23]. Observe CBs' mannerisms and participation in meetings with scientific collaborators and provide feedback.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Methods for training collaborative biostatisticians

Pomann

Boulware

Cayetano

et al. 2020

J. Clin. Trans. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Regarding the soft skills of a biostatistician, some literature exists (for example [23] or [24]). Furthermore, Zapf et al [1] summarize the professional expertise and the needed soft skills of a biostatistician according to the CanMEDS framework [25], which was developed to describe the required abilities of physician (the original abbreviation 'Canadian Medical Education Directions for Specialists' is no longer in use).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Only very few universities do indeed offer studies in biometry, which is why most people working as biostatisticians studied something related, subjects such as mathematics or statistics, or application subjects such as medicine, psychology, or biology. So a biostatistician cannot be defined by his or her education, but must be defined by his or her expertise and competencies [1]. This corresponds to our definition of a biostatistician in this article.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Why do you need a biostatistician?

Zapf

Rauch

Kieser

2020

BMC Med Res Methodol

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The quality of medical research importantly depends, among other aspects, on a valid statistical planning of the study, analysis of the data, and reporting of the results, which is usually guaranteed by a biostatistician. However, there are several related professions next to the biostatistician, for example epidemiologists, medical informaticians and bioinformaticians. For medical experts, it is often not clear what the differences between these professions are and how the specific role of a biostatistician can be described. For physicians involved in medical research, this is problematic because false expectations often lead to frustration on both sides. Therefore, the aim of this article is to outline the tasks and responsibilities of biostatisticians in clinical trials as well as in other fields of application in medical research.

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“…Our approach to biostatistical education emphasizes development of traits that are representative of the successful collaborative biostatistician, including excellent oral and written communication skills, and the ability to translate research problems into statistical language and give appropriate advice to collaborators (Zapf et al, 2019). Our program also emphasizes biology and offers experience working in a scientific team (Begg & Vaughan, 2011).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Biomedical Research Pyramid: A Model for the Practice of Biostatistics

Troy

Neely

Grambow

et al. 2021

JCT

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Biostatisticians apply statistical methods to solve problems in the biological sciences. Successful practioners of biostatistics have advanced technical knowledge, are skilled communicators, and can seamlesslessly integrate with interdisciplinary scientific teams. Despite the breadth of skills required for success in this field, most biostatistics education programs place heavier emphasis on development of technical skills than skills necessary for collaborative work, including critical thinking, writing, and public speaking. Our master’s degree program in biostatistics aims for stronger integration of education in collaborative work alongside development of technical knowledge in biostatistics. Toward that end, we propose a model that provides students with a mental map for practicing biostatistics, and that can serve as a tool for faculty to create hands-on learning experiences for biostatistics students. The model helps students organize their knowledge of biostatistics, unifying the technical and collaborative aspects of the discipline in a single framework that can be applied across the broad array of activities that biostatisticians engage in. In this article we describe the model in detail and provide an initial assessment of whether the model might meet its intended purpose by applying the model to a common task for practicing biostatisticians and biostatistics students: describing the results of a medical research study.

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What makes a biostatistician?

Cited by 19 publications

References 25 publications

Methods for training collaborative biostatisticians

Methods for training collaborative biostatisticians

Why do you need a biostatistician?

The Biomedical Research Pyramid: A Model for the Practice of Biostatistics

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