Faculty training in evidence-based medicine: improving evidence acquisition and critical appraisal

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) integrates published clinical evidence with patient values and clinical expertise, the output of which is informed medical decision making. Key skills for evidence-based practice include acquisition and appraisal of clinical information. Faculty clinicians often lack expertise in these skills and are therefore unable to demonstrate this process for students and residents.

We conducted a yearlong case-based EBM workshop for 28 clinician educators, with precourse and postcourse evaluations of EBM resource use and literature appraisal skills.

Of the original 28 participants, 26 completed the course. Self-assessed EBM resource use improved significantly. Self-reported EBM knowledge correlated with measured skill (r = 0.45), and both improved with the intervention (both p < .001). Higher EBM skills scores correlated with time logged on the course's EBM Web sites (r = 0.56; p < .05), workshop attendance rates (r = 0.55; p = .003), and fewer years since medical school graduation (r = -0.56; p < .005).

An interactive, longitudinal, EBM course derived from a needs assessment can improve 2 skills important for evidence-based practice: online literature retrieval and critical appraisal skills.