12 NUMERACY AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS: ARE WE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE?

Abstract

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Evidence-based Medicine & Outcomes I1 Apr 201012 NUMERACY AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS: ARE WE PREPARING STUDENTS FOR EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE? Viraj Master, Timothy Johnson, Ammara Abbasi, Evan Schoenberg, Rachel Kellum, Lisa Speake, Christopher Spiker, Anna Foust, Alexandra Kreps, and Chad Ritenour Viraj MasterViraj Master More articles by this author , Timothy JohnsonTimothy Johnson More articles by this author , Ammara AbbasiAmmara Abbasi More articles by this author , Evan SchoenbergEvan Schoenberg More articles by this author , Rachel KellumRachel Kellum More articles by this author , Lisa SpeakeLisa Speake More articles by this author , Christopher SpikerChristopher Spiker More articles by this author , Anna FoustAnna Foust More articles by this author , Alexandra KrepsAlexandra Kreps More articles by this author , and Chad RitenourChad Ritenour More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2010.02.055AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES In the era of evidence-based medicine, all physicians who communicate with patients need numerical literacy (numeracy). However single-institution studies suggest imperfect numeracy among medical students. Therefore, we sought to examine numeracy and understanding of risk analysis among medical students at several institutions. METHODS Following a validated three-item numeracy questionnaire, 250 medical students from four institutions were asked whether they would recommend adjuvant chemotherapy for a patient based on presented survival data. Main outcome measures included numeracy, confidence in recommending treatment using a Likert score (0-no confidence, 7-complete confidence), and understanding of risk with a question requiring simple calculation of risk reduction. One-way ANOVA measured differences in confidence and understanding across years and binary logistic regression analysis identified predictors of misunderstanding of risk. RESULTS Students across institutions did not differ demographically, so they were grouped by educational level. Only 72.9% of medical students had perfect basic numeracy (score=3), with no significant difference in numeracy across education levels (p=0.463). Mean (SD) confidence in recommending treatment increased from 4.5 (1.6) for first year medical students to 5.0 (1.6) for fourth year medical students (p=0.121). Controlling for other demographics, poorly numerate students had a three-fold increased likelihood (OR: 3.383, 95% CI: 1.181-9.691) of misunderstanding risk compared to more numerate students. CONCLUSIONS A significant number of students at various levels of medical training lack numeracy skills, which increases misunderstanding of risk that can be communicated to patients and families. This deficiency could dramatically affect patient safety and care. Atlanta, GA© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 183Issue 4SApril 2010Page: e5 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2010 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Viraj Master More articles by this author Timothy Johnson More articles by this author Ammara Abbasi More articles by this author Evan Schoenberg More articles by this author Rachel Kellum More articles by this author Lisa Speake More articles by this author Christopher Spiker More articles by this author Anna Foust More articles by this author Alexandra Kreps More articles by this author Chad Ritenour More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...