Journal Club Presentation Research Articles

Development of a Clinical Trial Methodology and Appraisal Curriculum for Hematology Fellows

Background: The past few decades have seen dramatic clinical advances in benign and malignant hematology. From genomically-targeted diagnostics and therapeutics to novel cellular and immune-based therapies, scientific concepts move to investigational products with astonishing speed. In parallel, clinical trials have become more complex, reflecting both the increasing complexity of the clinical landscape as well as improvements in trial design and standards. To effectively practice in this environment, hematology fellows need to develop a functional understanding of clinical trial methodology and appraisal. However, whereas there are many educational materials focused on content knowledge of hematology topics, there is a paucity of formal resources for better understanding trial methodology. We report the development of a longitudinal, multimodal clinical trial methodology curriculum for hematology fellows grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT). Methods: We developed a longitudinal clinical trial methodology curriculum for hematology fellows. The multimodal curriculum consists of both interactive didactic sessions as well as longitudinal integration of methodology teaching into the existing fellow-led journal club. Within the framework of SDT, the curriculum is designed to move fellows from stages of extrinsic motivation to understand and implement critical appraisal (e.g., avoidance of shame) to intrinsic motivation, i.e., integrating critical appraisal into one's professional identity and practice (Th.J. ten Cate et al., Medical Teacher 2011) Conceptually, this is effected by providing adequate content knowledge, a safe space to practice and explore difficult concepts, and serial reinforcement of both the cognitive and social nature of critical appraisal through fellow-led journal club. Progress will be assessed through the first 3 stages of the Kirkpatrick model: reaction, learning, behavior. Results: The concept, teaching modalities, assessment schema and theoretical underpinnings were developed through the ASH MEI program over the 2022-2023 academic year. Iterative review of the course content and modalities occurred through both ASH MEI small group meetings throughout the year, as well as with the directors of the UW Madison Hematology/Oncology fellowship program. Three of the didactics focus on content knowledge, starting with general methodology principles (e.g., validity) before focusing on the hematology-specific challenges of implementing and balancing these principles in therapeutic trials (e.g., enrollment criteria, endpoint selection, etc.) The final didactic is a guided review of a cooperative group trial protocol by clinical trialists from UW Madison, focusing on practical aspects of trial design and implementation. The journal club curriculum includes a methodology rubric trainees can apply during the development of their journal club presentation, as well as a one-on-one debrief session with faculty after their presentation to discuss challenges. Evaluations throughout the curriculum include pre/post survey of learners' comfort and identification with critical appraisal, as well as pre/post knowledge assessment with multiple choice test at beginning and end of curriculum. Conclusion: This curriculum is a proof-of-concept theory-based methodology curriculum for hematology/oncology fellows. The curriculum is being implemented in the first half of the 2023-24 academic year and will report out initial results by ASH 2023. If successful, this curriculum could potentially be expanded to a more extensive array of methodology topics within hematology/oncology and be applied on a larger scale.

Vulvar cancer management and wrangling recurrent disease: A report from the society of gynecologic oncology journal club

The Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Journal Club webinar series is an open forum that invites national experts to discuss the literature pertaining to important topics in the management of gynecologic cancers. On August 14th, 2023, SGO hosted a journal club focused on the management of upfront and recurrent vulvar cancer. Our discussants included Dr. Brian M Slomovitz from Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Dr. Emi Yoshida from the University of California San Francisco Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, and Dr. Lilian Gien from the University of Toronto Sunnybrook Odette Cancer Center. During the discussion,we reviewed the progression of vulvar cancer surgery from en bloc resection of the vulva and groins, to partial radical vulvectomy and sentinel lymph nodes. We also reviewed the management of node positive vulvar cancer including published and accruing Groningen International Study on Sentinel Nodes in Vulvar Cancer (GROINSS) trials and other sentinel trials from the Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG). Here we will also review the literature on the management of recurrent vulvar cancer, highlighting current treatment options and ongoing clinical trials. The following is a report of the journal club presentation.

Effectiveness of Journal Club Presentation as a Learning Modality in the Endocrinology and Endocrine Surgery Module in an Integrative Undergraduate Medical Curriculum.

The journal club is widely used in most postgraduate programs of medical institutes; however, the use of journal clubs in undergraduate medical programs is nearly absent or very rare. The aim of this work is to document the insertion of the journal club as a method for learning in the undergraduate starting with the endocrinology/endocrine surgery module to be fully implemented in all modules of the MBBS of FMBU. In addition, the study aimed to outline the steps of designing a journal club by following specific procedures and Identification of students' and faculty satisfaction through 5-years implementation of the journal club. A total of 453 students representing the five consecutive batches of medical students from 2019 to 2023 who studied the endocrinology/endocrine surgery module were entered into the study. Following guidelines for implementation of the journal clubs that were adopted by the quality and accreditation committee, the faculty select the types of papers from the articles chosen by students. The papers discussed were case reports, original research, and review articles. The students were asked to formulate critical appraisal topics, PICO, for each paper. A 20-question test was applied to all participants. The students' attendance, scores, and students/faculty satisfaction were estimated. A total of 50 papers were discussed in the 5-year journal club 15 case reports (30%), 26 original research (52%), and 9 review articles (18%). The student's attendance ranged from 72.53±3.74 to 98.07±3.15. The students and faculty's satisfaction were 3.52 and 3.82 respectively. The mean Students' score in A 20-question test in a 5-year journal club was 76.93 ± 9.78 and the lowest score was in the 2nd batch (online batch). The insertion of a well-structured journal club in the undergraduate medical program is necessary to improve the knowledge including knowledge among students. In addition, journal clubs inspire students to be lifelong learners.

Cervical cancer – times… they are a changing: A report from the Society of Gynecologic Oncology journal club

In January 2021, the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) Clinical Practice and Education Committees launched a “Journal Club” webinar series to invite national experts to discuss literature pertaining to common clinical scenarios encountered by the members of SGO. On December 13, 2021, SGO hosted its third journal club focused on the use of immunotherapy in cervical cancer. Charles A. Leath, III from the O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer at the University of Alabama and Leslie M. Randall from Massey Cancer Center at Virginia Commonwealth University discussed the recently published KEYNOTE-826 trial (Colombo et al., 2021) and Jyoti Mayadev from the University of California, San Diego Moores Cancer Center discussed GOG-9929 (Mayadev et al., 2020). Renata Urban from the University of Washington and Christine S. Walsh from the University of Colorado served as moderators. The following is a report of the journal club presentation.

Journal club exams: A unique approach in an evidence-based health care course for student pharmacists

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to reflect on the use of journal club exams in an evidence-based health care course for student pharmacists. DescriptionThree journal club exams were developed and administered: one on a randomized controlled trial, one on an observational study, and one on a meta-analysis. Prior to each exam, students were given about one week to evaluate a study on their own and in collaboration with their peers. The exam consisted of 25 multiple-choice questions that were specific to the study. Students completed the exam on an individual basis, while referring to an unmarked copy of the study. After each exam, a journal club presentation on the study was given by the instructor. Analysis/interpretationAn analysis of the experience provided valuable insights. Journal club exams seemed to promote students' thorough reading of studies, extensive discussion of studies with peers, and active engagement during journal club presentations. However, the exams created some concerns for students and required a high workload for the instructor. ConclusionsJournal club exams may be a useful tool to teach evaluation of primary literature in an evidence-based health care course for student pharmacists. ImplicationsFaculty who are interested in this unique approach should carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages that were described in this reflection.

Perceived benefit of a student-led journal club presentation in a pharmacotherapy module

Background and purposeThe primary purpose of this study was to evaluate student's perceptions of a student led journal club. Educational activity and settingThere were four, paired student led journal club sessions throughout the five week Women's and Men's Health Pharmacotherapy course. Journal club topics expanded upon didactic lecture material. A voluntary end-of-course survey was administered. Survey questions pertained to student's perception of the activity. Course and journal club grades were collected to identify correlations between demographics and performance. FindingsAll 91 students were given the survey (92.3% completion rate). Most students had not completed the journal club elective course or a journal club presentation previously (84.5% and 70.2%, respectively). Post-intervention prior to the course, most students did not feel confident in evaluating primary literature or presenting a journal club (61.9% and 59.5%, respectively). By the end of the course, most students felt an improvement in confidence in evaluating primary literature and presenting a journal club (88.1% and 89.3%, respectively). Most students agreed the journal club activities adequately complemented course material and was a beneficial course component (84.5% and 85.7%, respectively). Students felt better prepared for their Doctoral Candidate Seminar and pharmacy year four experiential rotations (76.1% and 86.9% respectively). Overall students reported that the journal club activity should be included in future courses (79.7%). The only parameter that predicted student confidence to present the journal club was completion of a journal club prior to the course. (p = 0.013) SummaryStudents perceived the journal club presentation in a pharmacotherapy module to be beneficial and agreed it should be included in future courses.

Access, attitudes and training in information technologies and evidence-based medicine among medical students at University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences.

The Medical Education Partnership Initiative, has helped to mitigate the digital divide in Africa. The aim of the study was to assess the level of access, attitude, and training concerning meaningful use of electronic resources and EBM among medical students at an African medical school. The study involved medical students at the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences, Harare. The needs assessment tool consisted of a 21-question, paper-based, voluntary and anonymous survey. A total of 61/67 (91%), responded to the survey. 60% of the medical students were 'third-year medical students'. Among medical students, 85% of responders had access to digital medical resources, but 54% still preferred printed medical textbooks. Although 25% of responders had received training in EBM, but only 7% found it adequate. 98% of the participants did not receive formal training in journal club presentation or analytical reading of medical literature, but 77 % of them showed interest in learning these skills. Lack of training in EBM, journal club presentation and analytical reading skills have limited the impact of upgraded technology in enhancing the level of knowledge. This impact can be boosted by developing a curriculum with skills necessary in using EBM.

Refining the Journal Club Presentations of Postgraduate Students in Seven Clinical Departments for Better Evidence-based Practice.

Background:A gap between best practice and actual clinical care exists and this can be overcome by evidence-based practice (EBP), which is essential to improve the clinical decision making. A strategy to reduce deficits in care provision is to train the postgraduate students in the practice of EBP in the journal clubs as evidence from medical colleges in India reveals that current format of journal club presentations is unsatisfactory.Aim:The aim of the present study was to refine the journal club presentations of postgraduate students of clinical departments and to study the effectiveness of EBP training in them for better EBP.Subjects and Methods:This study was conducted in S. Nijalingappa Medical College, Bagalkot, Karnataka, India, and it was a pre- and post-trial. This study was a pre- and post-trial done during the journal club presentations of postgraduate students from clinical departments. Postgraduate students' understanding of concepts about EBP was assessed using Fresno test questionnaire in traditional journal club presentation. A hands-on session incorporating steps of EBP was imparted to them. Soon after the session, each student was assessed. In the next journal club presentation, 1 week later, the students were assessed again with the same questionnaire by the same faculty. Scores of the postgraduate students, before and after intervention (immediate and 1 week later), were compared. Data were analyzed by paired t-test using SPSS.Results:An increase in mean posttest scores was seen immediately and also 1 week later as compared to the pretest scores. The scores also increased significantly, when each step of EBP was considered.Conclusions:Incorporating teaching of EBP in journal club presentations improved the competencies of postgraduate students in clinical decision making.

Creating a journal club competition improves paediatric nurses’ participation and engagement

To improve journal club participation, innovative approaches are required but few have been described. It was unknown if adding an element of competition, to an established journal club, would increase nurses' participation. To explore the impact on attendance and participation in a hospital-wide nursing journal club through the introduction of an element of competition. A descriptive exploratory study. An Australian specialist tertiary paediatric hospital with over 1600 nurses. In 2013, 12 hospital wards/departments were randomly assigned a month each to present journal club. Nurses were supported to evaluate an article according to a published framework. A predetermined rubric guided marking. Post competition, all hospital nurses received an anonymous online survey invitation. Demographic, Likert scale and qualitative data were collected. Questions elicited attitudes and perceived barriers or facilitators to participation in the journal club. Compared to 2012, there was a statistically significant increase in journal club attendance (2013 median=20.5 [IQR=18.2, 27.7] vs. 2012 median=9 [IQR=6.5, 12.5], Mann-Whitney U test, p<0.01). Full online survey responses were received from 289/1674 (response rate 17.3%) of sent invitations (Non-Attendees n=224, Attendees n=65 (including 18 presenters). Overall, Attendees reported journal club had a positive impact on their professional engagement. Presenters rated the journal club format highly as it developed skills and increased their confidence in journal club presentation. Emergent themes were time and location, engagement, topics and content. A competition format can increase nurses' journal club attendance and participation. Further work is required to establish applicability of this format to other settings.

Reflections on 20 years of RNA.

Reflections on 20 years of RNA.

Journal Club presentation in research orientation at Bahria University Medical & Dental College.

Objective:To determine faculty perception on journal club (JC) presentation at Bahria University Medical and Dental College (BUMDC), Karachi. Pakistan.Methods:It was a cross sectional study conducted from January 2009 to December 2012 to acquire faculty member’s feedback on JC presentations in structured meeting at BUMDC. Feedback was acquired by a self-reported questionnaire on a 3-pt Likert scale with a score of 1= disagree, 2= neutral, 3 = agree. Respondents were divided into Group I; senior faculty (professors, associates and assistants) and Group II of junior faculty (lecturers). Chi square test was applied to compare categorical variables; results considered significant with p value< 0.05.Result:A total of 75JC presentations were made in study period. In Group I, response was acquired by 5 Professors, 3 Associate Professors and 7 Assistant Professors whereas 34 lecturers comprised of Group II. Both groups responded to usefulness of JC equally without any significant difference. JC encouraged literature search in 35(72%), enabled 38(78%) to recall their knowledge and 34(70%) to understand study objectives. The participants 34(70%) were able to comprehend research methodology, 19(38%) understood biostatistics and 29(59%) evaluated the paper critically. The exercise motivated 36(74%) and 30(62%) participants were able to design their research projects.Conclusions:Orientation of research at BUMDC was made possible by JC discussions which encouraged literature review from reputable journals, understanding of research methodology and critical appraisals that facilitated formulation of research plans.

Workplace-Based Assessments in Psychiatry: Evaluation of a Whole Assessment System

Work Place-Based Assessments (WPBAs) were introduced into psychiatry along with the new curriculum in 2005. The Royal College of Psychiatrists decided to pilot several WPBAs to ascertain their suitability. Eight types of assessments (Case-Based Discussion, Assessment of Clinical Expertise, Mini-Assessed Clinical Encounter, Mini-Peer Assessment Tool, Direct Observations of Procedural Skills, Patient Satisfaction Questionnaires, Case Conference, and Journal Club Presentation) were piloted, either singly or in combination, on 16 sites, with 600 psychiatric trainees. Consultant psychiatrists carried out most of the assessments. Case-Based Discussion was the most popular, and high levels of correlation were obtained across several assessment tools. There is evidence that with suitable training of assessors and trainees, WPBAs can be introduced and are feasible in assessing some competencies.

Assessing psychiatric competencies: what does the literature tell us about methods of workplace-based assessment?

Workplace-based assessment (WPBA) is becoming a key component of post-graduate medical training in several countries. The various methods of WPBA include: the long case; multisource feedback (MSF); Mini-Clinical Examination (mini-CEX); Direct Observation of Procedural Skills (DOPS); case-based discussion (CbD); and journal club presentation. For each assessment method, we define what the approach practically involves, then consider the key messages and research evidence from the literature regarding their reliability, validity and general usefulness.

Improving journal club presentations, or, I can present that paper in under 10 minutes

Fifteen years ago we sought to develop a method for teaching residents how to make lean, pithy journal club presentations. Our aim was to help them distill an article down...

Access to articles for hospital journal clubs

Evidence-based critical appraisal of articles in journal clubs forms an essential part of psychiatric training. The College emphasises the importance of journal clubs as part of the postgraduate teaching programme ([Royal College of Psychiatrists, 2003][1]) and a journal club presentation will be

How to Prepare an Outstanding Journal Club Presentation

How to Prepare an Outstanding Journal Club Presentation

Can Residents Conduct a Journal Club in a Better Way?

Letters to the EditorCan Residents Conduct a Journal Club in a Better Way? Shabih ManzarMD, FAAP Shabih Manzar Search for more papers by this author Published Online:1 May 2001https://doi.org/10.5144/0256-4947.2001.262SectionsPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationTrack citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AboutIntroductionTo the Editor: Journal club presentation of a selected scientific article is a regular feature of any good postgraduate training program. As there is no formal teaching for good journal club presentation, most residents follow the IMRAD style from the text of the paper. They end up writing many pages of transparencies, with some copying the entire printed information in their projections. The journal club should not only be a presentation of the article, but a critical review of the same. The goal is to eliminate irrelevant information, detect deficiencies and summarize the important findings of the paper in a limited time span. The following are a few suggestions that might be of help in making journal club presentation easy and objective.SelectionThe selection of the article should be based on the target audience. A multi-center randomized control clinical study is preferable. Remember that the time for presentation should not exceed 20 minutes.TitleCheck for errors. Some examples of incorrect titles: HUS in the New Millennium. What is HUS? Abbreviations are best avoided. Why millennium? Is it such a long study? Improved Prognosis in Heart Failure Due to Captopril. Was heart failure caused by Captopril or was prognosis improved by its use?AuthorshipWho is the primary author? A renowned person as author who has done previous work on the same subject gives the paper a higher rating. However this is not a major merit and should not be taken as the sole criteria for selection.Where was the study conducted? Great Ormond Street Hospital, Harvard University or Yale, Karolinska Institute? The reliability and validity are more pronounced when the study was conducted in a reputed institution.Submitted, accepted, published (time lapse): A short time between the time of study and publication will rate the paper higher. However, for highly rated journals, a long time lapse is common.Materials and MethodsWhat were the inclusion and exclusion criteria? Types/designs of study (pilot, cross-sectional, randomized, blinded, prospective, clinical trial) should be appropriately chosen and described. Detailed description of the general procedure is also required.ResultsNo illusions should be created by graphic presentations. There should not be repetition of data in tabulated form if it has already been presented in the graphic form.Numbers of illustrations in tabulated form or figures should be pertinent to the study.The method of statistical analysis should be appropriate to the study.DiscussionThe positive and negative points should be highlighted. Were there any flaws or pitfalls? What was the significance and clinical application of the study?ConclusionWere the conclusions valid, reliable and drawn from the results? Previous article FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 21, Issue 3-4May/July 2001 Metrics History Published online1 May 2001 AcknowledgementsI wish to thank Prof. Khalid Al-Umran and Dr. Amir Lardhi for their valuable comments on the paper.InformationCopyright © 2001, Annals of Saudi MedicineThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.PDF download