[Web, workshops, e-learning for Quality improvement. An Evidence-based Medicine educational programme]

EBM is 15 years old. At present the main challenge seems to be to overcome the problems that prevent EBM from being widely adopted by physicians, nurses, and health managers. Several methods for teaching and learning EBM have been evaluated and an open debate on their efficacy is underway. EBM teaching must be considered as a preliminary step to the continuing medical education process and a prerequisite of continuing professional development aimed to making learning relational, ethical, and managerial skills easier. The Continuing Medical Education Office of the Autonomous Province of Bozen, Italy, started an educational programme aimed at disseminating the evidence-based approach in healthcare. Hospital doctors, general practitioners, nurses, psychologists and health managers must gain, apply, integrate, and share evidence-based knowledge in order to improve patient health. This paper reports the encouraging preliminary results of the Project, and explains the relevance of sharing and accessing a virtual medical library, integrated by consistent e-learning courses and by a series of educational meetings among a small number of participants. It also describes the next steps for completing the educational project.