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Evidence-Based Medicine: MSIII Internal Medicine Clerkship

MSIII Internal Medicine - EBM Library Session Routine

Welcome to the MSIII Internal Medicine Clerkship. This LibGuide will help students about the process of evidence based-medicine (EBM). You are going to find handouts, helpful links, EBM databases, journals, and other relevant resources. Please contact any librarian for questions or to schedule an appointment. 

Practice Session Goals

The students will:

  1. Demonstrate search strategy using PICO format
  2. Select and use appropriate and reliable library resources for practicing EBM
  3. Construct answerable clinical questions
  4. Apply the literature findings (evidence) to the patient’s problem/case

Introduction to the EBM Lecture

Coordinator of the medical students will call a librarian the first week of each block (there are 3 blocks) to schedule a 15-minute orientation for the new rotation class of MSIII’s in Internal Medicine.

We introduce ourselves, explain our purpose, distribute student list with assigned librarian, and review the routine for scheduling practice search sessions in the library.

Internal Medicine EBM Library Session

  • Internal Medicine Clerkship Director assigns each student a patient care topic (Prescription).
  • Mandatory: the student must come to the library to schedule an EBM search session with a librarian.
    • Recommendation: Please DO NOT show up at the last minute
  • The student is instructed to bring their prescription (PICO question) with them when they show up.
  • Duration of the session: 1 hour
  • Review with the librarian the PICO statement that the student has already written for appropriateness:
    • Type of question
    • Type of study
    • Search strategy
    • EBM databases
  • Begin search using Library EBM resources

Evidence-based resources provide point-of-care databases (Dynamed, UpToDate, Essential Evidence Plus, PubMed: Clinical Queries, Clinical Key, etc.) highly credible research to offer caregivers as they diagnose and treat patients.

  • In the Evidence-Based Medicine Session Worksheet (see the form in the handouts section) the librarian and the student will complete the form according to the prescription:
    • Ask an answerable question
    • Acquire: Did the student use an appropriate resource to search for evidence?
    • Appraise: Was an appropriate source of evidence obtained?
    • Apply: Did the student correctly interpret and apply the evidence to the patient?
      • Interpretation of the evidence
      • Application of the evidence to the patient
         
  • After completing the EBM library session, the librarian will send a progress report to the Internal Medicine Clerkship Director and Unit Coordinator, which includes the following: date, time, PICO elements, evidence, databases, LOE, and the name of the librarian assigned.

EBM Presentation Will Cover:

  1. Search strategy
  2. Search results
  3. The validity of this evidence
  4. The importance of this valid evidence;
  5. Can this valid important evidence be applied to your patient?
  6. Your evaluation of this process