Raising theoretical knowledge and practical skills in medical statistics among Syrian doctors: a peer-led virtual intervention

Biostatistics skills are essential for medical personnel to practice evidence-based medicine, conduct high-quality research, and provide optimal patient care. In Syria, years of conflict have severely impacted the healthcare system, medical education, and research training, leading to poor biostatistics training for junior staff and students. To bridge this gap, we investigated the effectiveness of a peer-led online biostatistics workshop in fostering sustained biostatistics knowledge in early-career medical personnel. A 22-hour workshop was conducted covering core topics like study design, data types, statistical tests, and practical applications using statistical software. A case-control assessed long-term outcomes one-year post-completion. Workshop attendees served as cases ( n  = 24), with three matched controls ( n  = 70) per case, selected from the same cohort based on academic level and specialty. All participants completed an online questionnaire evaluating the objective knowledge, confidence in theoretical concepts, and confidence in practical skills. Cases showed higher scores than controls in objective knowledge (median 6.0 vs 4.7, P < 0.05), confidence in theoretical knowledge (44.0 vs 29.3, P 0.05), and confidence in practical skills (9.5 vs 5.7, P < 0.05). Workshop attendance was the only significant independent predictor of objective knowledge (P < 0.01) and confidence in theoretical knowledge (P < 0.05), while prior data analysis experience also predicted confidence in practical skills (P < 0.001). Peer-led online biostatistics workshops can be an effective and sustainable approach to enhance biostatistics proficiency among medical personnel in resource-limited and conflict-affected settings. Integrating theoretical with practical application supports long-term knowledge retention. Moreover, combining objective and subjective assessments provide in-depth insights into the skills gained and help identify misunderstood terms.