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Prospective, controlled assessment of the impact of formal evidence-based medicine teaching workshop on ability to appraise the medical literature

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Abstract

Background

The ability to critically appraise the calibre of studies in medical literature is increasingly important for medical professionals.

Aim

This prospective controlled study evaluated the impact of a 6-h Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) Workshop on the critical appraisal skills of medical trainees.

Methods

Individuals attended three 2-h workshops over a 3-week period, incorporating didactic lectures in statistics, clinical trial design, appraising research papers and practical examples. Appraisal skills were assessed pre- and post-training based on grading the quality of randomised control studies (level 1 evidence), cohort studies (level 2 evidence) and case–control studies (level 3 evidence) [From Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine Levels of Evidence (2001), http://www.cebm.net/critical_appraisal.asp].

Results

Overall grading improved from 39% (pre-course) to 74% (post-course), P = 0.002, with grading of levels 1, 2 and 3 studies improving from 42 to 75%, 53 to 61% and 21 to 84%, respectively.

Conclusions

We conclude that a 6-h formal EBM workshop is effective in enhancing the critical appraisal skills of medical trainees.

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Acknowledgments

The study was kindly supported by Astra-Zeneca.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    G. C. Harewood

  2. University College Dublin School of Medicine and Medical Science, Dublin, Ireland

    L. M. Hendrick

Authors
  1. G. C. Harewood
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  2. L. M. Hendrick
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Correspondence to G. C. Harewood.

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Harewood, G.C., Hendrick, L.M. Prospective, controlled assessment of the impact of formal evidence-based medicine teaching workshop on ability to appraise the medical literature. Ir J Med Sci 179, 91–94 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-009-0411-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-009-0411-8

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