Evidence Based Practice: Assessing the educational outcome

Abstract

Healthcare providers and patients strive for optimal outcomes with a growing trend to embed the principles of evidence-based practice (EBP) into mainstream care delivery by practicing dentists. The foundations of future best practice are built at dental school. How do we evaluate the outcome of an EBP syllabus? This study describes the use of the KACE assessment tool to assess the learning outcomes of final year DDS students who had completed an EBP program. The use of a validated instrument to measure four dimensions, knowledge, attitudes about it, familiarity with sources for accessing evidence and confidence in critical appraisal skills can be an important outcomes assessment tool. 90 dental students from the final year completed the questionnaire in 2016. 84% demonstrated good knowledge of evidence hierarchy. 92% agreed of the value to future practice and improvement in quality of patient care with 88% agreeing with the value of it as an integral part of a dental school curriculum. Students demonstrate confidence in appraising study design, recognizing bias, generalizability and value of the research report. However, even with electronic access to databases, when it came to accessing evidence over 75% would ask a friend with less than 25% consulting the Cochrane Database. The outcome of the training had been positive in providing the skills for EBP. The use of a validated tool ensured the graduating students received a good foundation to provide their future patients with the best clinical evidence for optimal and cost-effective dental care.