Longitudinal teaching of evidence-based decision making.

Area of Science:

• Pharmacy Education
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Effective integration of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) into pharmacy curricula is crucial for developing competent practitioners.
• Assessing the longitudinal impact of EBDM content delivery on student learning is essential for curriculum development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a longitudinal EBDM educational design in enhancing PharmD students' knowledge, skills, and confidence.
• To determine if continuous EBDM training throughout the curriculum leads to improved student outcomes.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study followed three student cohorts (n=367) from 2005-2009.
• EBDM was taught via lectures, case-based research, and practice-based question answering.
• Student progress was assessed using repeated examinations, confidence surveys, and clinical inquiry evaluations.

Main Results:

• Student knowledge and perception of EBDM principles significantly increased over three academic years.
• Self-efficacy and perceived skills in applying EBDM to practice-based questions showed significant improvement (p<0.0001).
• Students demonstrated satisfactory performance in clinical inquiries during their final two years.

Conclusions:

• A longitudinal curriculum design successfully integrated EBDM education for pharmacy students.
• Repetition, real-world examples, and consistent feedback are effective strategies for teaching EBDM.
• This study validates a comprehensive approach to embedding EBDM skills development throughout the PharmD program.