Effectiveness of a short-course in improving knowledge and skills on evidence-based practice
2011

Improving Evidence-Based Practice Skills in Family Medicine Residents

Sample size: 152 publication Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Argimon-Pallàs Josep M, Flores-Mateo Gemma, Jiménez-Villa Josep, Pujol-Ribera Enriqueta

Primary Institution: Divisió d'Avaluació, Servei Català de la Salut, Barcelona, Spain

Hypothesis

The study aims to assess the effectiveness of a short course in Evidence Based Practice (EBP) on the knowledge and skills of family medicine residents.

Conclusion

The study provides evidence that a short educational intervention significantly improves knowledge and skills in EBP among family medicine residents.

Supporting Evidence

  • The mean difference between pre-test and post-test was 47.7, indicating significant improvement.
  • 94.1% of residents completed the pre-test, and 78.2% completed the post-test.
  • Residents gained on average 22.5% of the total possible score after the course.
  • Inter-rater reliability was high at 0.95 for the pre-test and 0.85 for the post-test.

Takeaway

This study shows that a short training course can help doctors learn how to use research to make better decisions for their patients.

Methodology

Before-after study with 152 family medicine residents participating in a four half-day training course.

Potential Biases

Non-respondents may have been less knowledgeable or engaged, leading to over-estimation of the effect.

Limitations

The study may have biases due to non-blinding and the potential for recall bias.

Participant Demographics

Average age of participants was 31 years, with 76.3% being women.

Statistical Information

P-Value

<0.0001

Confidence Interval

95% CI of 42.8-52.5

Statistical Significance

p<0.0001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1471-2296-12-64

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