Short Course in Evidence-Based Medicine Improves Knowledge and Skills of Undergraduate Medical Students: A Before-and-After Study

Abstract

Background: Providing evidence-based care is recognized as a key skill for health care workers from diverse professions and cultures. Purpose: We aimed to assess the effectiveness of a short course in evidence-based medicine (EBM) to change the knowledge and skills of undergraduate medical students and point to possible incorporation of EBM in their curriculum. Methods: This is a before-and-after study that was evaluated by the Fresno questionnaire. A 2-week short course of lectures, seminars, online search, and answering worksheets was conducted on 54 fifth-year medical students rotating through the family medicine department at Jordan University Hospital from September 1 until mid-December 2011. Results: The students achieved a mean score of 26.7 out of 200 in the pretest and 119.5 in the posttest. The mean difference between the pre- and posttests was 92.8, a statistically significant result with a 95% confidence interval of 84.7, 101.0 (p < .0001) with an effect size of 4.2 standard deviation units. Conclusions: A short course in EBM will significantly improve the skills and knowledge of undergraduate medical students.