From west to east; experience with adapting a curriculum in evidence-based medicine.

Indah S Widyahening,Sudigdo Sastroasmoro,Geert J M G Van Der Heijden,Yolanda Van Der Graaf,Foong Ming Moy,Awang Bulgiba

doi:10.1007/s40037-012-0029-9

Abstract

Clinical epidemiology (CE) and evidence-based medicine (EBM) have become an important part of medical school curricula. This report describes the implementation and some preliminary outcomes of an integrated CE and EBM module in the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia (UI), Jakarta and in the University of Malaya (UM) in Kuala Lumpur. A CE and EBM module, originally developed at the University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU), was adapted for implementation in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Before the start of the module, UI and UM staff followed a training of teachers (TOT). Student competencies were assessed through pre and post multiple-choice knowledge tests, an oral and written structured evidence summary (evidence-based case report, EBCR) as well as a written exam. All students also filled in a module evaluation questionnaire. The TOT was well received by staff in Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur and after adaptation the CE and EBM modules were integrated in both medical schools. The pre-test results of UI and UM were significantly lower than those of UMCU students (p < 0.001). The post test results of UMCU students were comparable (p = 0.48) with UI, but significantly different (p < 0.001) from UM. Common problems for the modules in both UI and UM were limited access to literature and variability of the tutors’ skills. Adoption and integration of an existing Western CE-EBM teaching module into Asian medical curricula is feasible while learning outcomes obtained are quite similar.

Highlights

To be able to provide ‘best practices’, all health care professionals should be able to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM)
In Universitas Indonesia (UI), the clinical epidemiology (CE)-EBM module was conducted from May to July in two rotations with a total of 202 students
The EBM module in University Medical Center Utrecht (UMCU) was conducted throughout the year, divided into six groups; a total of 381 students participated

Summary

Introduction

To be able to provide ‘best practices’, all health care professionals should be able to practice evidence-based medicine (EBM). This requires that medical decisions are based on the best available, current, valid and relevant evidence. In order to do that, medical graduates should ‘be able to gain, assess, apply and integrate new knowledge and have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances throughout their professional life’ [1, 2]. Nowadays many medical schools around the world have incorporated EBM teaching programmes into their curriculum [3]. The Sicily statement on teaching evidence-based practice recommends to incorporate knowledge, skills and attitudes of EBM into medical training [1]. An alternative is to adopt established EBM and clinical epidemiology (CE) modules and adapt these before implementing them in the existing curriculum

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion