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Principles of Evidence-Based Health Care - #32030


 

 

 
Jim R Hulbert, Ph.D.
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15
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This course provides an introduction to clinical decision-making using the "best" available evidence. Students will learn to pose relevant questions, locate and search appropriate sources of information and appraise their methodological quality. Accordingly, students will be introduced to commonly-encountered research designs and statistical principles used to answer questions encountered on a clinical and professional level.

Please select from the list on the right.

The Institution-wide learning goals define the common ground that unites the programs within the university. They are purposefully broad so that the various colleges and schools can continue to develop their unique identities through varying ways in which the goals are met.

  1. Effective Communication
    Graduates will demonstrate effective verbal, non-verbal, and written communication skills in a wide variety of contexts, including collaborative activities.
  2. Self Directed and Lifelong Learning
    Graduates will be aware of the limits of one’s personal knowledge and experience and have an intellectual interest in scholarly and creative endeavors. Graduates will actively set appropriate learning goals, pursue them, and apply the knowledge gained.
  3. Ethical Reasoning
    Graduates will demonstrate a willingness to recognize the values of others while maintaining one’s own integrity, and act ethically and professionally in all endeavors.
  4. Individuals, Communities and Cultures
    Graduates will demonstrate awareness and sensitivity to the cultural and health practices of individuals and communities. Graduates will be able to identify appropriate health related resources.
  5. Service to the Community
    Graduates will understand and value the benefits of service to the community.
  6. Influence of Mind, Body and Spirit on Health
    Graduates will recognize the inter-relationship of the mind, body and spirit and the influence of extrinsic factors on an individual’s health.
  7. Critical Thought and Knowledge Acquisition
    Graduates will acquire, appraise and apply scientific information. Graduates will contextually organize and synthesize relevant information to address an issue or problem.
  8. Competence in one's Discipline
    Graduates will demonstrate competence of appropriate depth and scope for one's discipline.

Course Objectives
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  1. Students begin learning the principles of modern science, including Karl Popper's requirement that a hypothesis be falsifiable (testable). They will understand that the scientific generation of knowledge about the safety and efficacy of health care is done through the gathering of observable evidence. Students will be capable of asking useful clinical foreground and background questions. They will be able to use library- and Internet-based search engines to find reports that address the clinical questions.
  2. Students will begin to learn how to appraise research designs and the strength of evidence. Students will be able to complete forms that assist in the appraisals of reports of original research and systematic reviews.
Materials
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A. Required Text(s):
  1. Course schedule, packet of readings, and four assignment handouts.

B. Recommended Text(s):
  1. Straus SE, Richardson WS, Glasziou P, Haynes RB. Evidence-Based Medicine. Edinburgh: Elsevier. 2005.
    2. ON RESERVE in the Greenawalt Library.

C. Required Materials for Lab:
None
Assignments
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1. Library seminar (attendance required)

2. Assignment 1: essay on modern philosophy of science and the status of chiropractic knowledge

3. Assignment 2: Generate useable background and foreground clinical questions, locate citations of reports that may answer these questions.

4. Assignment 3: Appraisal of an original report (student chooses article).

5. Assignment 4: Appraisal of a systematic review (student chooses article)

6. In-class activity (Smith-Rosner debate)

7. In-class activity (To be announced)
Attendance
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Regular attendance is expected.
Grading Criteria
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Library seminar (5 points)

Four assignments (15 points each)

In-class activity concerning the Smith-Rosner debate (15 points)

In-class activity TBA (20 points)

Total: 100 points

Guaranteed grades are as follows:

A = 85-100 points
B = 75-84 points
C = 65-74 points
D = 55-64 points
F = 54 points and below
Course Competencies
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COGNITIVE DOMAIN


 



Conditions:


PSYCHOMOTOR DOMAIN




AFFECTIVE DOMAIN
Weekly Calendar of Learning Objectives
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Week Dates Topics/Learning objectives
Week 1

 

Orientation

Read Introduction and Part 1 (Karl Popper)

Read EBM (on reserve): Intro and Chapter 1

Assignment 1 handout, due Week 2 (hand in or e-mail)

Notice of library seminar schedule (assigned attendance)

Week 2

Read Part 2 (Data analysis examples, diagnostic tests)

Read EBM: Chapter 2

Assignment 1 due. Hand in or e-mail.

Assignment 2 handout. Due Week 3. Important preparation for the Library Seminar.
Week 3

Assignment 2 due. Use my mailbox (Room 212) or e-mail.

Complete reading Part 2 and Part 3 of the course materials.

Library seminar(s): weeks dedicated depend on number of students (cap is 20 per seminar). Seminars in larger classes may take up class time for two or three weeks.
Week 4

Read Part 3: Conflict between CAM and medical establishment. Prepare questions and comments for class

Read 4a: Appraisal of an original report, using our carpal tunnel article (JMPT 1998) as an example.

Walk-through of an appraisal of an original report

Assignment 3 handout
Week 5

Read 4a: Questions and comment about developing effective search questions, locating the best articles, and appraisal of an original report. Brief comments: what is a peer-reviewed article vs a report or essay in a single-editor trade publication?

What are research projects and research programs? Cumulative quantitative science, Research designs; questions, clarification. Characteristics and uses of observational and experimental designs.

Continue working on Assignment 3.
Week 6

Read Part 4b: Appraising a systematic review.

Characteristics of a systematic review of the current literature concerning a topic. Evaluating search and weighting criteria. Using your clinical sense to decide if the diagnostic and treatment protocols are reasonable and might be applied in your clinics.

Assignment 3 due. Hand-in or e-mail.

Assignment 4 handout. Due Week 8.
Week 7

Read Part 5: The Smith-Rosner debate. Prepare for written, in-class activity concerning what you read.

Questions and comments about appraisal of a systematic review.

Week 8

Assignment 4 due. Hand-in or e-mail.

In-class activity: The Smith-Rosner debate.
Week 9

 
Week 10

 
Week 11

 
Week 12

 
Week 13

 
Week 14

 
Week 15

 
Please Note
This schedule of lecture and lab topics and quizzes and exams may be changed during the course of the trimester as circumstances require. Whenever possible, such changes will be announced in class before the date and time in question. You are responsible for anything that transpires during lectures and labs, even when you are unable to attend. In the event that you miss a class session, make sure you check with a classmate about any announcements or schedule changes which may have been made. Makeup exams are allowed only according to the policies described in the current student handbook, which is available in the Student Affairs office.
Maintained by Northwestern College of Chiropractic
Last updated: 8 January, 2007
 

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