Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine Through Facilitated Journal Clubs

PURPOSE The 2-year Russian oncology residency focuses on diagnosis and treatment of malignancies but lacks evidence-based medicine (EBM) and patient communication skills (PCS) training. To overcome these educational disparities, the 5-year national program, the Higher School of Oncology (HSO), involving Russian expatriate physicians trained in the United States was established. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted. Highly motivated oncology residents were enrolled in the program through the three-step selection process. US-trained Russian expatriate physicians acted as mentors. EBM skills were taught through weekly online journal clubs and clinical case presentations. PCS training included live seminars and simulations after journal clubs. EBM knowledge was assessed using Fresno test among newly enrolled and postgraduate year (PGY) 2-5 HSO residents. PCS were evaluated via simulation exam including two clinical scenarios (maximum score 100 each) among 17 PGY2 HSO residents and seven non-HSO trainees. RESULTS Overall, 54 residents were enrolled over 5 years (8-13 annually); four were released from the program. The mean age was 24 ± 1 years, and 56% were females. Median scores of Fresno test were significantly higher among PGY 2-4 HSO residents compared with newly enrolled participants: 111 (IQR, 71-128) versus 68 (IQR, 42-84), P = .042; moreover, performance correlated with year of program participation (rs = 0.5; P < .0001). PCS assessment score was significantly higher among HSO residents than non-HSO trainees: 71 (IQR, 58-84) versus 15 (IQR, 10-30) for scenario number 1 ( P < .0001) and 78 (IQR, 71-85) versus 22 (IQR, 4-58) for scenario number 2 ( P = .005), respectively. CONCLUSION The involvement of Western-trained expatriates in remote education improves EBM and PCS among oncology trainees from their home country. This strategy can be useful in overcoming global medical education disparities in other specialties and in countries facing similar challenges.

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Increasing general practitioner use of evidence-based medicine in teaching and clinical practice through evidence-based journal clubs

Australian Journal of Primary Health ◽

10.1071/py20267 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Miriam Brooks ◽

Jennifer Reath ◽

Louise McDonnell ◽

Penelope Abbott

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

General Practitioner ◽

Evidence Based Medicine ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Journal Clubs ◽

Based Medicine

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The use of journal clubs to teach evidence‐based medicine to health professionals: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine ◽

10.1111/jebm.12370 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 42-56

Author(s):

Dragan Ilic ◽

Annelies Voogt ◽

John Oldroyd

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Health Professionals ◽

Evidence Based Medicine ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Journal Clubs ◽

Based Medicine

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Teaching Evidence Based Medicine in Surgical Education; the Challenges and Techniques in Training

Open Medicine Journal ◽

10.2174/1874220301603010337 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 337-345

Author(s):

M Griffin ◽

DJ Jordan ◽

A El Gawad

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Evidence Based Medicine ◽

Management Plan ◽

Evidence Based ◽

Clinical Expertise ◽

Medical Practitioners ◽

Excellent Teaching ◽

Journal Clubs ◽

Surgical Trainees ◽

Based Medicine

Evidence Based Medicine integrates clinical expertise, best available clinical evidence, as well as patient’s values and preferences to manage the care of patients. Surgeons have traditionally performed surgery according to their mentor teachings, these techniques being passed down through several generations. Current surgeon culture must evolve to integrate EBM into their clinical practice. The knowledge and skills required for searching and appraising critical literature needs to be taught to enable surgeons to implement it effectively. Evidence based surgery (EBS) will encourage surgeons to apply the best up-to-date knowledge to find the most effective surgical management plan for their patients. Several methods of teaching EBS to surgical trainees have shown to be effective including workshops, small group discussions, lecture style teaching and courses involving a combination of techniques. Journal clubs have gained in popularity and provided excellent teaching environments for surgeons to learn critical appraisal. Recently EBM has been introduced into the undergraduate programme to provide young medical practitioners with a strong foundation in EBM competency, and a positive attitude towards applying EBM to clinical practice. In this review, we aim to provide an overview of the principles of EBM and the success and challenges of teaching methods to deliver EBM for the surgical field.

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