2.3. Ethical Considerations
The protocol for this study complies with the Helsinki declaration and was approved by the appropriate committees and officials. The study was briefly explained to potential participants and they were informed that involvement was completely voluntary and that they could withdraw at any time with no negative impact.
2.4. Statistical Analysis
Statistical analysis was performed using the software package (SPSS 13.0, Beijing, China). Continuous variables are expressed as mean ± SD; categorical variables are presented as frequencies. We performed three sets of analyses. First, we calculated Cronbach’s α to establish the internal consistency reliability of the questionnaire in our study population. Second, we conducted ANOVA to assess the differences among computer skills, informatics knowledge, and informatics skills. Third, a multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess the independent effects of demographic variables on informatics competencies. A two-tailed α-value of 0.05 was set for significance.