Clinical Residents’ Viewpoints on Their Knowledge and Practical Capabilities: The Effect of an EBM Course on Focus

Background: Commitment to evidence-based medicine (EBM) means the informed and fair use of the best evidence for accurate diagnosis and treatment decisions for patients. This approach attempts to improve the quality of clinical decision-making. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of EBM training courses on the theoretical knowledge and practical skills of clinical residents. Methods: A quantitative method based on a quasi-experimental single group design was used in this study. Two researcher-made questionnaires and one test were used as the major instruments for evaluating the satisfaction, knowledge and practical capabilities of participants. The content validity of the questionnaires was confirmed by five educational experts in medical education and clinical practices, and the reliability was calculated through Chronbach’s alpha (r = 0.92 and 0.93). The questionnaires were distributed among all 110 junior clinical residents who participated in the EBM workshop; 62 residents completed the questionnaire. The gathered data was analyzed through SPSS version 14 using paired t-test and Pearson’s correlation. Results: Participants took a high level of satisfaction (means of all items were higher than the cut-off points) from the evidencebased medical course. Participants’ knowledge and practical abilities were significantly broadened as a result of attending the EBM course (P < 0.01). In addition, a positive significant correlation was found between the knowledge scores and practical ability scores of residents who participated in the EBM course (r = 84%). Conclusions: More emphasis needs to be placed on developing the practical skills of residents in the EBM course. It is also essential that clinical ward residents be required to make clinical decisions based on evidence-based medicine.