Teaching evidence-based medicine

The practice of evidence-based medicine is inherently pedagogical by its nature, requiring one to use tools that are basic lifelong learning skills. To facilitate the teaching of these skills, it is important to emphasise how the average Hong Kong practitioner's difficulty in keeping abreast of the rapidly growing body of medical literature can be efficiently resolved by using evidence-based medicine protocols. Four evidence-based medicine workshops were recently offered in Hong Kong. These workshops were organised and taught in a manner similar to one that had been found to be effective in other settings. Issues related to both the strengths and shortcomings of using this strategy in the local context are discussed. Implications for organising future workshops of this kind are also identified.