A comparison of learning in traditional and evidence based journal clubs

Abstract

Introduction: Journal clubs are known as the teaching methods in most of the medical training centers. In journal club (JC) participants discuss about articles in recent medical papers and finally, written scientific results are accepted or rejected. The aim of this study was to compare the traditional and evidence based medicine (EBM) type of JCs.Methods: The present study was conducted in Imam Reza Hospital, Tabriz University of medical sciences from January to March 2010. Forty participants were enrolled in our study: 16 stagers, 11 interns and 13 internal medicine residents. We held 3 journal clubs with 14 participants in the first session and 13 participants in the other sessions. Journal club was held at the end of each week. The first paper was presented by one of the attending physicians of rheumatology ward. The second paper was presented by another attendant of rheumatology ward who was a member of EBM group of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Then the results were compared. Results:The comparison of the sums of participants’ scores didn’t show any meaningful difference between traditional and EBM journal club in topic, purpose, and methods and material part of papers, but in the results section of the papers, the difference was remarkable. Conclusions: Our study showed that in the EBM journal clubs, participants learnt more about the results part of the papers. but in the results section of the papers.