- L Fritsche, senior lecturera,
- T Greenhalgh, professorb,
- Y Falck-Ytter, researcherc,
- H-H Neumayer, professora,
- R Kunz, senior lecturer (rkunz{at}uhbs.ch)a
- aDepartment of Nephrology, Charite-Campus Mitte, 10117 Berlin, Germany
- bDepartment of Primary Health Care, University College London, London N19 3UA
- cGerman Cochrane Centre, Institute for Medical Biometry and Medical Informatics, University of Freiburg, Germany
- Correspondence to: R Kunz
- Accepted 18 October 2002
Abstract
Objective: To develop and validate an instrument for measuring knowledge and skills in evidence based medicine and to investigate whether short courses in evidence based medicine lead to a meaningful increase in knowledge and skills.
Design: Development and validation of an assessment instrument and before and after study.
Setting: Various postgraduate short courses in evidence based medicine in Germany.
Participants: The instrument was validated with experts in evidence based medicine, postgraduate doctors, and medical students. The effect of courses was assessed by postgraduate doctors from medical and surgical backgrounds.
Intervention: Intensive 3 day courses in evidence based medicine delivered through tutor facilitated small groups.
Main outcome measure: Increase in knowledge and skills.
Results: The questionnaire distinguished reliably between groups with different expertise in evidence based medicine. Experts attained a threefold higher average score than students. Postgraduates who had not attended a course performed better than students but significantly worse than experts. Knowledge and skills in evidence based medicine increased after the course by 57% (mean score before course 6.3 (SD 2.9) v 9.9 (SD 2.8), P<0.001). No difference was found among experts or students in absence of an intervention.
Conclusions: The instrument reliably assessed knowledge and skills in evidence based medicine. An intensive 3 day course in evidence based medicine led to a significant increase in knowledge and skills.
Footnotes
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Funding RK is supported by an academic career award for women from the senate of Berlin
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Competing interests None declared.
Full details of the instrument and a table showing completion of questionnaire appear on bmj.com
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