Evaluation of an Evidence-Based Medicine Curriculum in a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program Using the Fresno Test

Objective. To assess the effectiveness of a longitudinal evidence-based medicine (EBM) curriculum to improve pharmacy resident knowledge and skills in evidence-based practice as measured by the Fresno Test. Methods. Residency program director and clinical pharmacist preceptors in a community teaching hospital developed a longitudinal EBM curriculum for a postgraduate year one (PGY1) pharmacy practice residency. The program was offered as a yearlong series of 1-hour meetings to train residents in evidence-based practice. A pre/post study design was used to evaluate the program. The full 12-item Fresno Test was used to measure specific EBP skills: Ask, Acquire, Appraise, Apply and Assess. Pre/post composite and item mean scores were compared using Student's paired t-test. Results. Forty-three residents completed pre- and post-Fresno Test evaluations between 2008 and 2014 with a mean increase in pre- and post-training scores from 125.9 (SD 32.9) to 138.5 (SD 33.6), p=.02. Conclusion. A longitudinal training program in EBM in a pharmacy residency demonstrated improvement in core evidence-based practice abilities as measured by the Fresno Test.