Conceptual Biostatistics for the Clinical Investigator (DCS 5309)

This course explains fundamental statistical principles and focuses on explaining the appropriate scientific interpretation of statistical tests, rather than the mathematical calculation of the tests themselves. The course covers topics typically used in biomedical publications, including data description, summary statistics, p values and confidence intervals, contingency tables, sensitivity and specificity of laboratory tests, parametric and non-parametric tests, analysis of variance, correlation, regression, and statistical power, and sample size estimation. Course objectives are:

  1. Be able to effectively communicate with a statistical collaborator concerning the statistical concepts and procedures commonly used in clinical research
  2. Understand the statistical design concepts and procedures commonly used in clinical research and presented in medical journals
  3. Identify the statistical procedures appropriate (and inappropriate) to a given clinical research situation
  4. Interpret output generated from a statistical computer program

Prerequisites: None

Credit: 3 hours; one of the two courses that meet the 3 hour requirement for a beginning biostatistics course (see also DCS 5391: Mathematical Biostatistics for the Clinical Investigator I). Beginning biostatistics courses are taken concurrently with DCS 5101: Biostatistics Lab I.

Grading Criteria: Pass/Fail, based on homework (25%) and three in-class exams (75%)

Semester Offered: Fall

Course Director:
Linda S. Hynan, PhD
Associate Professor
Depts. of Clinical Sciences and Psychiatry
Phone: 214-648-2685
Fax: 214-648-7673

Course Administrator:
Mack Dressler
Assistant Administrator for Education & Degree Programs
Department of Clinical Sciences (E5.506)
Phone: 214-648-2558
Fax: 214-648-3934