Prerequisite

Information Mastery component of the Clinical Foundations (INTD 3030) course

Research conduted in this course

Information sheet about research data collected.

Goals by the end of MS3 year

1. Learn how to use 3° resources such as UpToDate and MicroMedex
2. Learn how to find individual article when you know part of their citation (eg Smith in NEJM) (taught in Clinical Foundations)

3. Learn how to assess articles
   • More specifically
     • Be able to assess the quality of an article using the framework of Levels of Evidence, followed by PICO
     • Be able to extract the strength of the effect (diagnostic or thereapeutic) reported in an article
   • Rationale - even with the emergence of excellent 3° resources such as UpToDate, doctors still need to be able to assess emerging research. Recently published research will not have had time to be vetted by 3° resources such as UpToDate or PIER and 2° resources such as Cochrane, InfoPoems, ACPJournalClub, or JournalWatch

Schedule

The first session is on the first Monday of the month. Remaining sessions are on Wednesday afternoons, except your presentation is on a Wednesday morning. Detailed schedule: 2006-2007.

• Week 1
  • Assessing articles
    • Session 1 - slides
    • Critical appraisal care (PDF)
  • Using probablistic thinking in medicine - not everything is black and white
    • Diagnosis
      • Using Bayes theorem to group diagnostic tests into categories without having to crunch numbers
      • Prediction rules
    • Treatment - use absolute numbers: absolute risk reduction and NNT
    • Significance testing - don't worry too much about the exact p-value
    • Calculators
      • Online calculators:
        • Generic epi Calculator (UTHSCSA)
        • Center for Evidence-based medicine (click 'EBM tool box')
        • Dx calculator
        • Dx nomogram
      • Palm OS application available at either:
        • Clinical.UTHSCSA.edu/PDA
          • UHS - VA phone book
        • Centre for Evidence-based Medicine - Toronto
      • Pocket PC Versions:
        • Clinical.UTHSCSA.edu/PDA - (requires StyleTap)
          • UHS - VA phone book
        • Centre for Evidence-based Medicine - Toronto
  • Search assignment
    • What is the well-formulated question for your question?
    • Bibliography
    • Requirements and Grading - see handout
• Week 3
  • Presentions of your topic (for pass-fail grade)
    • Samples for your presentation (you may download and replace their contents with your topic)
      • Sample evidence table (from handout)
      • Presentation template
      • Handout template (Word document)
      • Preparing your presentation
        • Requirements and Grading - see handout

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