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There has been increasing interest among national organizations for medical schools to provide students experiential training in the social determinants of health (SDH) through community partnerships. Despite this interest, there is limited data about how these experiential activities can be designed most effectively, and community organizations' views of partnering with medical schools on these curricula is unknown. The authors' objective was to determine community organizations' and clinical clerkship directors' perceptions of the benefits and challenges of utilizing academic-community partnerships to improve medical students' understanding of the SDH. The authors conducted a qualitative study consisting of open-ended, semi-structured interviews (between 2018 and 2021). All community organizations and clinical clerkship directors who partnered with a health equity curriculum were eligible to participate. Semi-structured interviews elicited participants' perceptions of the academic-community partnership; experience with the curriculum and the students; and recommendations for improving the curriculum. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. The authors used a directed content analysis approach to code the interviews inductively and identified emerging themes through an iterative process. Of the fifteen participants interviewed, ten were from community organizations and five from clinical clerkships. Three primary themes emerged: (1) community organizations felt educating students about the SDH aligned with the organization's mission and they benefited from consistent access to volunteers; (2) students benefited through greater exposure to the SDH; (3) participants suggested standardizing students' experiences, ensuring the students and organizations are clear about the goals and expectations, and working with organizations that have experience with or the capacity for a large volume of volunteers as ways to improve the experiential activity. This study found that community organizations were very willing to partner with a medical school to provide students experiential learning about the SDH, and this partnership was beneficial for both the students and the organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate feasibility and impact of evidence-based medicine (EBM) educational prescriptions (EPs) in medical student clerkships. Methods: Students answered clinical questions during clerkships using EPs, which guide learners through the “four As” of EBM. Epidemiology fellows graded EPs using a rubric. Feasibility was assessed using descriptive statistics and student and fellow end-of-study questionnaires, which also measured impact. In addition, for each EP, students reported patient impact. Impact on EBM skills was assessed by change in EP scores over time and scores on an EBM objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) that were compared to controls from the prior year. Results: 117 students completed 402 EPs evaluated by 24 fellows. Average score was 7.34/9.00 (SD 1.58). 69 students (59%) and 21 fellows (88%) completed questionnaires. Most students thought EPs improved “Acquiring” and “Appraising”. Almost half thought EPs improved “Asking” and “Applying”. Fellows did not value grading EPs. For 18% of EPs, students reported a “change” or “potential change” in treatment. 56% “confirmed” treatment. EP scores increased by 1.27 (95% CI: 0.81–1.72). There were no differences in OSCE scores between cohorts. Conclusions: Integrating EPs into clerkships is feasible and has impact, yet OSCEs were unchanged, and research fellows had limitations as evaluators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Despite the widespread teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to medical students, the relevant literature has not been synthesized appropriately as to its value and effectiveness. Aim: To systematically review the literature regarding the impact of teaching EBM to medical students on their EBM knowledge, attitudes, skills and behaviors. Methods: MEDLINE, SCOPUS, Web of science, ERIC, CINAHL and Current Controlled Trials up to May 2011 were searched; backward and forward reference checking of included and relevant studies was also carried out. Two investigators independently extracted data and assessed the quality of the studies. Results: 10,111 potential studies were initially found, of which 27 were included in the review. Six studies examined the effect of clinically integrated methods, of which five had a low quality and the other one used no validated assessment tool. Twelve studies evaluated the effects of seminars, workshops and short courses, of which 11 had a low quality and the other one lacked a validated assessment tool. Six studies examined e-learning, of which five having a high or acceptable quality reported e-learning to be as effective as traditional teaching in improving knowledge, attitudes and skills. One robust study found problem-based learning less effective compared to usual teaching. Two studies with high or moderate quality linked multicomponent interventions to improved knowledge and attitudes. No included study assessed the long-term effects of the teaching of EBM. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that some EBM teaching strategies have the potential to improve knowledge, attitudes and skills in undergraduate medical students, but the evidenced base does not demonstrate superiority of one method. There is no evidence demonstrating transfer to clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Effective teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) to medical students is important for lifelong self-directed learning. Aims: We implemented a brief workshop designed to teach literature searching skills to third-year medical students. We assessed its impact on students'' utilization of EBM resources during their clinical rotation and the quality of EBM integration in inpatient notes. Methods: We developed a physician-led, hands-on workshop to introduce EBM resources to all internal medicine clerks. Pre- and post-workshop measures included student's attitudes to EBM, citations of EBM resources in their clinical notes, and quality of the EBM component of the discussion in the note. Computer log analysis recorded students'' online search attempts. Results: After the workshop, students reported improved comfort using EBM and increased utilization of EBM resources. EBM integration into the discussion component of the notes also showed significant improvement. Computer log analysis of students'' searches demonstrated increased utilization of EBM resources following the workshop. Conclusions: We describe the successful implementation of a workshop designed to teach third-year medical students how to perform an efficient EBM literature search. We demonstrated improvements in students'' confidence regarding EBM, increased utilization of EBM resources, and improved integration of EBM into inpatient notes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There has been little systematic investigation of student belief about the characteristics of the optimum process for clinical bedside teaching. Aims: The intent was to identify the most important characteristics of the bedside teaching experience from the perspective of two groups of students, one from Oman and the other from Canada. Method: Students were asked to complete a questionnaire about their concept of the ideal process of bedside teaching. Their answers were analyzed using factor analysis. Results: Answers provided by the students was consistent with the presence of six domains. These corresponded to Preparation, Introduction, Experience, Summary, Explanation, and Conclusion. 'Preparation' involves consideration of the patient and the knowledge level of the learners, 'Introduction' involves effective communication, and 'Experience' means the need for the students to be actively involved in the history and physical examination. The remaining three domains deal with the need to provide a summary and elaboration as well as advice and feedback. These 6 factors explained 60% of the total variance. Conclusions: While these areas still need to be defined more closely, the application of these six domains to the structure of the bedside teaching experience is likely to result in improved student learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Medical educators are increasingly faced with directives to teach Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) skills. Because of its nature, integrating fundamental EBM educational content is a challenge in the preclinical years. Aims: To analyse preclinical medical student user satisfaction and feedback regarding a clinical EBM search strategy. Methods: The authors introduced a custom EBM search option with a self-contained education structure to first-year medical students. The implementation took advantage of a major curricular change towards case-based instruction. Medical student views and experiences were studied regarding the tool's convenience, problems and the degree to which they used it to answer questions raised by case-based instruction. Results: Surveys were completed by 70% of the available first-year students. Student satisfaction and experiences were strongly positive towards the EBM strategy, especially of the tool's convenience and utility for answering issues raised during case-based learning sessions. About 90% of the students responded that the tool was easy to use, productive and accessed for half or more of their search needs. Conclusions: This study provides evidence that the integration of an educational EBM search tool can be positively received by preclinical medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A four-hour integrated teaching session on clinical decision analysis has been developed and introduced as part of the Life Long Learning Skills course for medical students at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. The feasibility and effectiveness of teaching the principles and practice of clinical decision analysis to final-year undergraduate medical students was evaluated. One hundred and thirty-two students were randomly assigned to medical (intervention) and surgical rotations (control) and were assessed two weeks before and three weeks following a teaching session. The students' performance was assessed in response to 10 A-type multiple choice question items that incorporated various clinical scenarios requiring decision making and interpreting cost-effectiveness ratios and sensitivity analysis graphs. More students in the intervention group improved their overall performance scores compared with those in the control group (23.4% vs. 7.4%; 16.1% difference; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.8-28.5%; p = 0.01). Improvements were in interpretation of decision making (22.2% difference; 95% CI, 10.1-34.4%; p < 0.001). No improvements were seen for calculating cost-effectiveness ratios or interpreting sensitivity analysis graphs. The overall educational intervention was well received by students and effective in improving students' clinical decision analysis skills under simulated conditions. Practice points Clinical decision-making skill is an important aspect of evidence-based medicine. A randomized controlled trial assessed the effect of teaching clinical decision analysis to undergraduate medical students. An integrated teaching session consisting of three 40-minute lectures on the principles and practice of clinical decision analysis, followed by two 1-hour workshops is effective in undergraduate final-year medical students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]