Assessing the FACTTS: An Evidence-Based Medicine and Critical Appraisal Course for Medical Students

Abstract

The Fourth-year Academic Clinical Training and Teaching Selective (FACTTS) is a course taught by medical and library faculty on the practice of evidence-based medicine and critical appraisal of the medical literature. This study assesses the impact of the course on students' understanding of the subject matter by examining three years of pre- and post-test data and addresses whether the number of sessions in the course affects the knowledge gained by the students. The data show an improvement in the students' understanding of course material, but no benefit was found in having two versus three sessions.

KEYWORDS:

• Critical appraisal
• evidence-based medicine
• FACTTS
• medical informatics
• medical students

Acknowledgments

Comments and suggestions should be sent to the Column Editors: Toni Hoberecht ([email protected]) and Kimberly Pullen ([email protected]).

Notes

Z-score for Questions 1, 2, 4–6 based on the difference between the number of correct answers on pre- and post-tests. Questions 7 and 8 show the z-score for the difference in the number of correct answers given for multi-answer questions.

^a Based on negative ranks.

^b Based on positive ranks.

*p-value = 0.05.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

John W. W. Cyrus

John W. W. Cyrus, MLIS, MA, AHIP ([email protected]) is Research and Education Librarian, Virginia Commonwealth University, Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, 509 North 12th Street, P.O. Box 980582, Richmond, VA 23298-0582;

David C. Duggar

David C. Duggar, MLIS, AHIP ([email protected]) is Reference Librarian, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71103;

Deidra Woodson

Deidra Woodson, MLS, MA, MT(ASCP) ([email protected]) is Metadata and Digitization Librarian, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932;

Donna F. Timm

Donna F. Timm, MLS ([email protected]) is Head, User Education, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71103;

Jerry W. McLarty

Jerry W. McLarty, PhD ([email protected]) is Professor, Department of Medicine, LSU Health Director of Cancer Prevention and Control, Feist-Weiller Cancer Center, 1501 Kings Highway, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932.

Kimberly Pullen

Kimberly Pullen, MLIS ([email protected]) is Head, Liaison Librarian, LSU Health Shreveport, 1501 Kings Highway, Shreveport, LA 71103;

Mark P. Baggett

Mark P. Baggett, MLIS ([email protected]) is Systems Development Librarian, University of Tennessee Libraries, 1015 Volunteer Boulevard, Knoxville, TN 37996-1000;

Daniel E. Banks

Daniel E. Banks, MD, MS ([email protected]) is Professor, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University School of Medicine, 1501 Kings Highway, P.O. Box 33932, Shreveport, LA 71130-3932.