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Best Evidence Medical Education
R.M. Harden1, Janet Grant, Graham Buckley
1Education Development Unit, Scottish Council for Postgraduate Medical & Dental Education, Dundee, Scotland, UK (author for correspondence, Tay Park House, 484 Perth Road, Dundee, Scotland DD2 1LR, UK).
Advances in Health Sciences Education : Theory and Practice
|October 19, 2002
Summary
Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) shifts education from opinion to evidence. Teachers use professional judgment and the QUESTS dimensions to evaluate and apply the best available research for improved medical education practices.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Evidence-Based Practice
Background:
- The need for evidence-based education in medicine is growing.
- Current medical education often relies on opinion rather than robust evidence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and define Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME).
- To outline the framework for evaluating evidence in medical education.
Main Methods:
- Implementation of educational methods based on the best available evidence.
- Utilizing professional judgment informed by the QUESTS dimensions.
- Grading evidence across six dimensions: Quality, Utility, Extent, Strength, Target (outcomes), and Setting (context).
Main Results:
- The QUESTS dimensions provide a structured approach to assess research evidence.
- Evidence rarely scores high on all six dimensions, necessitating a balance.
- Identifies inherent tensions in medical education evidence, such as quality vs. relevance and utility vs. context.
Conclusions:
- Best Evidence Medical Education (BEME) promotes a culture of evidence-informed decision-making.
- Teachers must use professional judgment to balance competing dimensions of evidence.
- Facilitates the integration of research findings into medical teaching practices.