Introduction to Evidence-Based Medicine: a student-selected component at the Faculty of Medicine, King Abdulaziz University

Figures & data

Table 1 PICO (Patient population, Intervention [or exposure], Comparison, Outcomes) approach

Patient population	What group do you want information about?
Intervention (or exposure)	What medical event do you want to study the effect of?
Comparison	Compared with what? Better or worse than no intervention at all, or than another intervention?
Outcomes	What are the effects of the intervention?

Table 2 Course evaluation by students (n = 14)

Questions	Mean	SD
Course objectives were clearly explained from the start	4.2	0.40
The course design was easy to use	4	0.54
The course followed a logical, well-organized sequence	4.1	0.30
The information was clearly presented	4.3	0.79
The examples made sense and supported the information	4.4	0.69
I learned enough to better understand the evidence-based medicine process	4.1	0.53
Assessment methods were clearly explained	4.1	0.70
Overall, this course was a good course	4.1	0.40
I will recommend this course to my colleagues	3.8	0.75
Total	4.1	0.19

Abbreviation: SD, standard deviation.

Table 3 Self-evaluation score of skill level and evidence-based medicine experience

Questions	Mean	SD
Before this course, I was exposed to the concepts and skills of evidence-based medicine	2.2	1.0
Prior to this course, I searched for and used research literature in addressing patient issues	3.1	1.3
I understand the concept of evidence-based medicine	4.0	0.45
I feel capable of critically appraising articles dealing with issues of therapy and prevention	3.6	0.8
I feel comfortable using evidence-based medicine skills in day-to-day patient care responsibilities	3.8	1.0
I believe critical appraisal skills have value to me as a fourth-year student	3.5	0.82
I am more likely to use the literature to support my clinical decision making	3.6	0.80
I am more likely to appraise critically the articles I read	3.7	0.77
I am more likely to search the primary literature available on my patients’ problems	3.8	0.60
The medical clerkship is an appropriate time to learn the concepts of evidence-based medicine	3.9	0.70
I felt that my clinical question was resolved through identification and appraisal of the literature	4.2	0.40
My appraisal of the literature benefited my patient in some way	3.6	0.93
My evidence-based medicine project increased my sense of involvement in the clinical decision made regarding my patient	3.9	0.57
The five-step approach to the presentation of critically appraised literature was easy to learn	4.1	0.74
The five-step approach to presentations is a practical way to impart information concisely to colleagues	4.0	0.82
I am likely to use the evidence-based medicine process again during my medical training	4.0	0.67

Table 4 Results of faculty member’s evaluation of students’ achievement

Evidence-base medicine steps	Mean score out of 25	SD	Score (%)
Using PICO to formulate a focused clinical question	24.7	0.7	98.7
Conducting a search for evidence	22.9	0.9	91.5
Appraising an article	21.8	1.1	87.2
Presenting the results	22.9	1.4	91.5
Total (out of 100)	92.2	3.1	92.2

Abbreviations: PICO, Patient population, Intervention (or exposure), Comparison, Outcomes; SD, standard deviation.