Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) project

EU-EBM Training the Trainers Project

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is defined as the ‘conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients’ (David Sackett, 1996)

Teaching EBM should not only equip practitioners with knowledge and skills but also foster their attitudes and encourage the practice of EBM. Critical appraisal and EBM teaching that is integrated into clinical practice seems more effective in improving substantial outcomes including behavioural changes (Coomarasamy A, Khan KS. BMJ 2004; 329:1017).

The EBM project team led by Professor Khalid Khan (Professor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Epidemiology) and Dr Shakila Thangaratinam(clinical lecturer in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Clinical Epidemiology), with input fro Mr Harry Gee (consultant Obstetrician, Head of School of Post Graduate Medicine – West Midlands), has been involved in the management of a number of local and European projects regarding the teaching and training of health care professionals in the principles of EBM, and there are eight European partners involved in the project.

This project aims to develop a European Qualification in Teaching Evidence Based Medicine that will improve transparency across the European healthcare sector through the design, development, promotion and piloting of a European training programme specifically for the training of healthcare trainers in EBM.  This follows the success of our previous project where a critical appraisal skills programme was provided for post-graduate doctors, consisting of one-day workshops in teaching the principles of EBM and critical appraisal skills.

The project will develop an EBM Training the Trainers curriculum that is integrated into clinical practice.

The project wishes to develop an integrated course that will

incorporate teaching of EBM in everyday clinical practice

be relevant to health care professionals across Europe

enhance and standardise the teaching of doctors

improve professional clinical guidelines

improve mobility of doctors

improve the care of patients

improve the efficiency of European medical practice

The project will produce a core curriculum for teaching EBM in various clinical settings. The curriculum will be translated into each country’s language and will be flexible enough to include country specific modules related to clinical guidelines and legislation relevant to each country. The curriculum will involve a new combination delivery method including both work based (e.g. in the hospital) and home/classroom teaching.

The development of a Training the Trainers programme will help provide a European qualification which will enable the trainers to fit more easily into the healthcare system of other EU states and will improve the efficiency and speed of EBM accreditation, providing a quality provision, effective work practice and improved patient care - again to be put into use.

In addition to the development of a European qualification in teaching EBM, the project will identify, collate and disseminate information on existing Training the Trainer courses in partner countries, their training needs, practices, skills and contacts through a network of influential healthcare, academic, social and governmental organisations, facilitating the integration of doctors of all ages and backgrounds into the larger European employment market.

http://www.ebm-unity.org/

For further information please contact:

Shakila Thangaratinam Project Manager – s.thangaratinam@bham.ac.uk

Gemma Barnfield Research Fellow – g.barnfield@bham.ac.uk

Professor Khalid Khan  Professor in Obs and Gynae – k.s.khan@bham.ac.uk

Mr Harry Gee – School of Post Graduate Medicine–  harry.gee@bwhct.nhs.uk