MedEdPORTAL (Jul 2013)
The Making Evidence-Based Medicine Simple Series — Therapy Module
Abstract
Abstract Introduction The Making Evidence Based Medicine Simple Series is an evidence-based clinical practice curriculum. It consists of six modules that review the articles types addressing the most common clinical questions (i.e., diagnosis, therapy, harm, prognosis, meta-analysis, and clinical decision rules). Each module reviews an article from the medical literature using the Users Guide to Medical Literature criteria for validity, results, and applicability. Each modules includes a PowerPoint presentation with a script, a video of the presentation with narration, a quiz with answers, tips for teaching the module, a blank review form, and a completed critical article review for the article reviewed in the module. Methods The Therapy Module reviews the appraisal of the validity, results, and applicability of a randomized clinical trial of steroid therapy for mild croup. The study addresses the following clinical question: In children with mild croup in the emergency department, will oral dexamethasone when compared to placebo result in a reduction in unscheduled return visits? In addition, this module reviews the following critical appraisal skills: (1) differentiating between a superiority, non-inferiority, and equivalence analysis, (2) identifying the role of randomization, allocation concealment, and blinding in reducing bias, (3) distinguishing between an intention to treat and per protocol analysis, (4) calculating absolute risk, absolute risk reduction, and relative risk from a 2 × 2 table, (5) distinguishing between clinical and statistical significance, and (6) calculating/interpreting a number needed to treat. Results Evaluations by course participants have been extremely positive. Participants often comment that they have finally grasped important content that they have previously struggled with. The materials have been particularly useful to those who are leading a teaching session. Feedback from a 2013 course for pediatric emergency medicine fellows indicated that 92% of participants felt the Therapy Module was “extremely helpful.” In addition, 100% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that the modules improved their ability to appraise an article, and their ability to conduct evidence-based clinical practice. One-hundred percent also agreed or strongly agreed that the precourse materials were useful. Discussion The Making Evidence Based Medicine Simple Series is a well-received evidence based clinical practice curriculum and the Therapy Module is an effective component of the series that can be used independently or with the other modules.
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