A centralized practice-based learning and improvement curriculum for residents and fellows: a collaboration of health sciences librarians and graduate medical education administration

Health sciences librarians have been involved in the education of medical residents and fellows for many years, traditionally providing orientation to library resources or refreshers on MEDLINE searching [1–4]. With the increased focus on evidence-based medicine (EBM) in residency education, health sciences librarians have found a natural partnership in teaching EBM search skills in the postgraduate curriculum [5–12]. However, even with EBM opening the door for increased librarian instruction, the level of librarian involvement in residency education varies greatly by institutional or departmental interest, institutional culture, program directors, librarian expertise, and marketing techniques. In 2002, the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) mandated the use of outcomes assessment in ACGME-accredited programs. One area of particular interest to librarians was the practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) competency, which included information-searching and -management skills. Specifically, PBLI competencies include “the ability to locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to their patients' health problems and to use information technology to optimize learning,” as well as other competencies related to lifelong learning [13]. Teaching and evaluating PBLI is challenging for many graduate medical education (GME) programs because it includes competencies in areas many medical school faculty do not possess expertise in and may themselves be in need of skill development [14–18]. In addition, few tools have been developed to measure resident learning in this area [17, 19, 20].