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Teaching evidence-based medicine: should we be teaching information management instead?
David C Slawson1, Allen F Shaughnessy
1Department of Family Medicine, Box 800729, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA. Dslawson@virginia.edu
Summary
Physicians need information management skills beyond evidence-based medicine to provide optimal patient care. Learning to efficiently find, evaluate, and apply relevant medical information at the point of care is crucial for lifelong learning and effective clinical practice.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Information Science
- Clinical Practice
Background:
- Medical schools teach evidence-based medicine (EBM) to improve patient care.
- EBM skills alone are insufficient for contemporary clinical practice.
- Integrating evidence into busy practices requires effective information management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To advocate for teaching applied information management skills to clinicians.
- To highlight the necessity of information management alongside or instead of basic EBM science.
- To prepare medical professionals for lifelong learning in medicine.
Main Methods:
- Discusses the need for specific clinician skill sets.
- Defines "foraging" (keeping up) and "hunting" (just-in-time) information tools.
- Emphasizes combining evidence with patient-centered care.
Main Results:
- Clinicians require skills to filter information for relevance and validity.
- Effective point-of-care information access is essential.
- Decision-making involves integrating evidence with patient needs and desires.
Conclusions:
- Information management is a critical applied science for modern medicine.
- Training in information management is necessary for students, residents, and practicing physicians.
- These skills support lifelong learning and high-quality patient care.