In an effort to foster the application of the skills you learned in your EBM course include a discussion for one of your write-ups that will take the form of answering a question using EBM. Questions arise all the time on the wards about the efficacy of certain tests and therapies. As medical students, you frequently wonder why we do things the way we do. Now is your chance to apply the literature to these questions and practice evidence rather than expert based medicine.
Pick any case that has a question that interests you and has some literature to address it. (Your attendings and residents will be a good resource to find out whether your question is amenable to a concise literature search.) Begin your discussion with your question and make sure the question is not too broad. For example, “Can DKA be managed as effectively in a step-down unit as in an ICU?” rather than “What is the best way to manage DKA?” Asking a good question is critical to success. You are encouraged to run this by someone more experienced if you have any doubts about your chosen question.
Once you pick a question, perform a literature search and choose 1-2 articles that best address your question. Please note the search terms and databases you used. (The EBM database on the library website is particularly helpful as are the librarians.) Give a brief summary of the article(s) and discuss how they do or don’t apply to your specific case. Highlight any weaknesses of the studies. Finally, describe how you plan to apply the information you gleaned to your patient. This should be no longer than 1/2-1 page. This can be included in your education portfolio.
Evaluation Criteria: EBM evaluation form will be used to asses the four critical aspects described above.
EBM
Project Evaluation Criteria
