Teaching trainees how to critically evaluate the literature - a crossover study at two pediatric residency programs

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Pediatrics
• Evidence-Based Medicine

Background:

• Pediatric residents require robust evidence-based medicine (EBM) knowledge for optimal patient care.
• Existing EBM curricula may vary in effectiveness and retention.
• Adult learning principles can enhance medical education delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, EBM curriculum for pediatric residents.
• To assess the impact of the curriculum on knowledge acquisition and long-term retention.

Main Methods:

• A crossover study involving 60 pediatric residents from two institutions.
• A 4-session EBM curriculum based on adult learning principles and 'Studying a Study' methodology.
• A validated 20-question EBM multiple-choice test administered at baseline, post-curriculum, and 4-6 months later.

Main Results:

• Significant score improvements from baseline post-curriculum (23% and 41% in different groups).
• Scores remained stable at 4-6 month follow-up, indicating long-term knowledge retention.
• A positive association was found between the number of sessions attended and score increases.

Conclusions:

• The EBM curriculum effectively enhanced pediatric residents' knowledge.
• The curriculum demonstrated sustained knowledge retention over several months.
• The findings support the potential for widespread implementation of this EBM curriculum in pediatric residency programs.