Dataset Information

How to choose an evidence-based medicine knowledge test for medical students? Comparison of three knowledge measures.

ABSTRACT:

Background

There are a few studies of alignment between different knowledge-indices for evidence-based medicine (EBM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the type of test used to assess knowledge of EBM affects the estimation of this knowledge in medical students.

Methods

Medical students enrolled in 1-week EBM course were tested with the Fresno, Berlin, and ACE tests at the beginning and the end of the course. We evaluated the ability of these tests to detect a change in the acquired level of EBM knowledge and compared the estimates of change with those of the Control group that was tested with the ACE and Berlin tests before and after an unrelated non-EBM course. The distributions of test scores and average item difficulty indices were compared among the tests and the groups.

Results

Test scores improved on all three tests when compared with their pre-test results and the control. Students had on average a "good" performance on the ACE test, "sufficient" performance on the Berlin test, and "insufficient" performance or have "not passed" on the Fresno test. The post-test improvements in performance on the Fresno test (median 31% increase in percent scores, 95% confidence interval (CI) 25-42%) outperformed those on the ACE (13, 95% CI 13-20%) and Berlin tests (13, 95% CI 7-20%). Post-test score distributions demonstrated that the ACE test had less potential to discriminate between levels of EBM knowledge than other tests.

Conclusion

The use of different EBM tests resulted in different assessment of general EBM knowledge in a sample of graduate medical students, with lowest results on the Fresno and highest on the ACE test. In the light of these findings, EBM knowledge assessment should be based on the course's content and learning objectives.

SUBMITTER: Buljan I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6278026 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

How to choose an evidence-based medicine knowledge test for medical students? Comparison of three knowledge measures.

Buljan Ivan I Jerončić Ana A Malički Mario M Marušić Matko M Marušić Ana A

BMC medical education 20181204 1

<h4>Background</h4>There are a few studies of alignment between different knowledge-indices for evidence-based medicine (EBM). The aim of this study was to investigate whether the type of test used to assess knowledge of EBM affects the estimation of this knowledge in medical students.<h4>Methods</h4>Medical students enrolled in 1-week EBM course were tested with the Fresno, Berlin, and ACE tests at the beginning and the end of the course. We evaluated the ability of these tests to detect a chan ...[more]

PMID: 30514288

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Project description:Medical students enter clerkships with the requisite biomedical science knowledge to engage in supervised patient care. While poised to apply this knowledge, students face the cognitive challenge of transfer: applying knowledge learned in one context (i.e., preclinical classroom) to solve problems in a different context (i.e., patients in the clinic). To help students navigate this challenge, a structured reflection exercise was developed using Kolb’s experiential learning cycle as an organizing framework. Students selected a patient encounter (concrete experience), wrote and addressed biomedical science learning objectives related to the care of the patient (reflective observation), reflected on how addressing the learning objectives influenced patient care (abstract conceptualization), and described their attending engaging in a similar process (active experimentation). A directed content analysis of students’ written reflections revealed that most students wrote clinical science learning objectives in addition to biomedical science learning objectives. When viewed through the lenses of knowledge encapsulation theory and illness script theory, some students recognized knowledge encapsulation as a process beginning to occur in their own approach and their attendings’ approach to clinical reasoning. Students readily applied their biomedical science knowledge to explain the pathophysiologic basis of disease (fault illness script domain) and signs and symptoms (consequence illness script domain), with fewer addressing predisposing conditions (enabling conditions illness script domain). Instances in which students observed their attending applying biomedical science knowledge were rare. Implications for using structured reflective writing as a tool to facilitate student application of their biomedical science knowledge in clerkships are discussed. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40670-022-01697-5.

Project description:Background and Objectives:Young people are the main group at risk of HIV/AIDS due to factors such as curiosity, peer pressure, lack of knowledge and skills, unsafe sexual behaviors, and drug abuse. The present study was conducted to compare the knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among medical and non-medical students in Iran. Methods:This cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study was conducted on a population consisting of the students of Shahid Beheshti University (SBU) and Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences (SBMU). A total of 303 students were randomly selected from the two universities. Data were collected using a researcher-made HIV/AIDS knowledge, attitude, and practice questionnaire. Data were then analyzed using the independent t-test, Mann-Whitney's U-test, the ANOVA, and the Kruskal-Wallis test in SPSS-18. P<0.05 was set as the level of significance for all the tests. Findings:The frequencies of marital status, education, smoking, alcohol and psychotropic substance use, employment status, and source of information differed significantly between the medical and non-medical students. There was a significant difference between the two groups regarding knowledge (P<0.001) and practice (P=0.019) regarding HIV/AIDS. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of their attitude toward HIV/AIDS (P=0.503). The results of the ANOVA revealed a significant correlation between marital status and practice (P=0.022), education and attitude (P=0.004), and smoking and knowledge (P=0.008) among the medical students. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference between the demographic variables and knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding HIV/AIDS among the non-medical students (P>0.005). Conclusion:The present findings showed that designing and developing appropriate educational programs, offered through group media, scientific seminars, courses, lectures, and group discussions, can be effective in enhancing the students' knowledge and changing their attitudes and should be incorporated into healthcare programs.

Dataset Information

How to choose an evidence-based medicine knowledge test for medical students? Comparison of three knowledge measures.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Publications

How to choose an evidence-based medicine knowledge test for medical students? Comparison of three knowledge measures.

Similar Datasets

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