An Evidence-based Medicine Elective Course to Improve Student Performance in Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experiences

Abstract

Objective. To implement and evaluate the impact of an elective evidence-based medicine (EBM) course on student performance during advanced pharmacy practice experiences (APPEs). Design. A 2-hour elective course was implemented using active-learning techniques including case studies and problem-based learning, journal club simulations, and student-driven wiki pages. The small class size (15 students) encouraged independent student learning, allowing students to serve as the instructors and guest faculty members from a variety of disciplines to facilitate discussions. Assessment. Pre-and posttests found that students improved on 83% of the core evidence-based medicine concepts evaluated. Fifty-four APPE preceptors were surveyed to compare the performance of students who had completed the EBM course prior to starting their APPEs with students who had not. Of the 38 (70%) who responded, the majority (86.9%) agreed that students who had completed the course had stronger skills in applying evidence-based medicine to patient care than other students. The 14 students who completed the elective also were surveyed after completing their APPEs and the 11 who responded agreed the class had improved their skills and provided confidence in using the medical literature. Conclusions. The skill set acquired from this EBM course improved students' performance in APPEs. Evidence-based medicine and literature search skills should receive more emphasis in the pharmacy curriculum.

An Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in Application of Evidence-Based Policy

“…More than 86% of preceptors surveyed agreed that students who completed the elective course 1 had stronger evidence-based medicine skills than nonparticipants. 7 An active-learning approach to assessment of landmark trials and application of findings to patient care decisions increased students' comfort with the technical aspects of using evidence-based medicine skills to evaluate literature in a third-year elective course. 8 The evidence-based approach to patient care is becoming more widely recognized, and the decision-making process regarding therapeutic choices can be approached similarly with a population perspective such as formulary management of prescription drugs.…”

Evaluation of an Evidence Based Practice Rotation for Advanced Pharmacy Practice Experience in Response to MERS-Cov Epidemic as a Result of Temporary Hospital Closure

“…Moreover, by incorporating good understanding of research and statistical evidence into this rotation one would expect the gained students' knowledge and clinical expertise to facilitate a full comprehension of the published therapeutic protocols which the preceptors of this rotation had intended to review systematically. This notion was supported in the pharmacy literature where using active learning techniques, journal club, and literature evaluation exercises improved the performance of students on APPE rotations [2].…”

A Cardiovascular Pharmacotherapy Elective Course to Enhance Pharmacy Students’ Literature Evaluation Skills and Ability to Apply Clinical Evidence

“…Bookstaver and colleagues described the development of an evidence-based medicine elective course (2 hours per week for 1 semester, 15 students per class) to improve student performance in APPEs. 6 The course used case studies, journal club simulations, and student-driven wiki pages to improve students' literature evaluation skills and ability in applying clinical evidence to practice. Experiential preceptors reported that students who had completed the course had stronger skills in applying evidence-based medicine to patient care than other students.…”