A systematic review of the effectiveness of journal clubs in undergraduate medicine

Abstract

Background: Training future doctors in the skills of evidence-based medicine (EBM) is clearly important. Journal club (JCs) are well-recognized educational interventions for teaching EBM. In contrast to postgraduate medical education, JCs use in undergraduate medical education (UME) has not been adequately explored. We conducted a realist review of the effectiveness of JCs in UME to unpack the underlying mechanisms by which the intervention works (or fails) in teaching EBM. Methods: The scope of review was the evaluation of the effectiveness of JCs in UME settings. We searched major bibliographic databases - MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, PSYCInfo, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science and found fifteen articles eligible for inclusion. Data was extracted aided by a modified Kirkpatrick framework and presented in evidence tables. Themes and chains of inference were identified, and finally, we formulated new hypotheses on how and why JC intervention works. Results: Mandatory vs. voluntary JC did not differentially impact attendance of JC in UME settings though JC duration beyond two hours decreased attendees’ self-reported satisfaction. Coupling lectures to JCs positively impacts knowledge gain and retention. Coupled Mentorship or using critical appraisal worksheets helped the achievement of manuscript writing skills and a positive attitude towards EBM. Conclusions: Journal clubs are effective interventions to teach EBM in UME settings and are well-received by learners. They improve specific learning outcomes of knowledge gain and retention, skills of manuscript writing and critical appraisal. However, we found no evidence that these translates to the practice of EBM nor impacts patient outcomes.

The overcrowded curriculum is alarming

“…A systematic review of the effectiveness of journal clubs in undergraduate medicine by Bello and Grant 17 evaluated which journal club educational interventions work in undergraduate medical education settings. Their review suggested that the journal clubs are a more effective tool when paired with lectures or mentoring.…”

Planejamento e desenvolvimento da disciplina de pesquisa científica no curso de medicina: um estudo descritivo

“…Em adição, reconhece-se cada vez mais a importância da formação de futuros médicos nas competências e habilidades para uma Medicina Baseada em Evidências (MBE) (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;ARONSON, 2017). Trata-se de uma prática que permite a análise crítica das evidências presentes na literatura científica, visando aprimorar a qualidade nas tomadas de decisões e, consequentemente, o suporte oferecido aos pacientes (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;STRAUS et al, 2019).…”

“…Em adição, reconhece-se cada vez mais a importância da formação de futuros médicos nas competências e habilidades para uma Medicina Baseada em Evidências (MBE) (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;ARONSON, 2017). Trata-se de uma prática que permite a análise crítica das evidências presentes na literatura científica, visando aprimorar a qualidade nas tomadas de decisões e, consequentemente, o suporte oferecido aos pacientes (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;STRAUS et al, 2019). Nesse contexto, atividades de pesquisa científica quando introduzidas aos estudantes de medicina na graduação de maneira direcionada e organizada são consideradas um método que buscam melhorar resultados de aprendizados específicos atribuídos a aquisição e aumento de conhecimentos, além de, competências de redação e avaliação crítica dos novos conhecimentos com bases reflexivas (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;HARRIS, et al, 2011;NEL D, et al, FIGUEIREDO et al, 2021).…”

“…Trata-se de uma prática que permite a análise crítica das evidências presentes na literatura científica, visando aprimorar a qualidade nas tomadas de decisões e, consequentemente, o suporte oferecido aos pacientes (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;STRAUS et al, 2019). Nesse contexto, atividades de pesquisa científica quando introduzidas aos estudantes de medicina na graduação de maneira direcionada e organizada são consideradas um método que buscam melhorar resultados de aprendizados específicos atribuídos a aquisição e aumento de conhecimentos, além de, competências de redação e avaliação crítica dos novos conhecimentos com bases reflexivas (BELLO & GRANT, 2023;HARRIS, et al, 2011;NEL D, et al, FIGUEIREDO et al, 2021). Sobretudo, a participação dos acadêmicos na pesquisa durante a graduação em medicina traz benefícios para a instituição e para a sociedade como um todo.…”

How neurosurgeons maintain and update their professional knowledge in a self-directed learning context

“…Health professionals also report the use of alternative methods to conduct their SDL such as journal clubs and interdepartmental communication tools [ 27 ]. Studies have confirmed journal clubs support, and are considered effective by learners, in their continued education [ 28 ] by facilitating knowledge gain and retention, skills of manuscript writing and critical appraisal. Recent research has found that professionals are utilizing specialized learning tools designed specifically to support learning and document management [ 29 ], such as Mendeley, Evernote [ 30 ] and more recently, Notion [ 31 ].…”