Authors: Margaret Rush Dreker, Roberta Bronson Fitzpatrick
Objectives
Librarians contributed evidence-based medicine curriculum. The CATs project provides instruction on basic EBM concepts: the evidence pyramid and levels of evidence, formulating a searchable clinical question, using the PICO format, searching PubMEd. Articles were read, synthesized, and turned into a CAT. These skills will be used in clinical rotations and residency. The resulting CATs would populate a database/institutional repository.
Methods
Medical students enrolled in their “Foundations” course were simultaneously enrolled in an “Evidence Based Medicine” Moodle course. Module 2 covers developing searchable clinical questions, breaking them into a PICO format and selecting from among the available library resources when conducting a search. Librarians have embedded exercises within the course. Students are divided into small groups and paired with a partner. The small groups convene in the library for one hour for more focused training on searching PubMed, as well as a quick review of concepts covered in the Moodle course. Students work with their partner to write a focused clinical question, break it down into PICO, connect to PubMed, execute a search, identify at least four relevant articles. They obtain the articles, read and synthesize them, and write a CAT with a clinical bottom line.
Results
An online form was developed and is used to write the CATs, which are submitted directly to the library and to the course director. The completed CATs are presented by each pair to their small group and preceptor. Medical school faculty preceptors have commented on the quality of scholarship exhibited, students’ facility with PubMed, and their understanding of article types and the PICO format exhibited during small group discussions. The library developed a relational database to house the completed CATs but is in discussion to import them into RUCore, the institutional repository.
Conclusions
There is a high degree of interest in this project. Students feel that they are developing a skill that has application for the duration of their career. Faculty and administrators are enthusiastic about the fact that this is not EBM in a vacuum, but for lifelong learners.
