Evidence Based Medicine – Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt)

Name of the activity: Evidence Based Medicine

Country/NMO: Egypt (IFMSA-Egypt)

Program: Teaching Medical Skills

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Capacity Building

General description:

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the process of systematically reviewing,
appraising and using clinical research findings to aid the delivery of optimum
clinical care to patients.
Seeing that knowledge on EBM and its importance to us as future physicians we came to believe that spreading the knowledge on EBM is the current best approach to overcome the educational gap we are facing. Through workshops, online campaigns and free to all materials we aim to spread the knowledge to insure the creation of better future physicians.

Focus area:

Evidence Based Medicine

Problem statement:

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the process of systematically reviewing,
appraising and using clinical research findings to aid the delivery of optimum
clinical care to patients.
Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) curricula are now an integral part of medical
education. Curricula are taught in various formats and to students of various
medical disciplines. While competency-based learning is being promoted by
prominent medical education entities, no formal attempt has been made to
develop competencies that a practicing clinician needs in EBM. The past few
decades have seen tremendous and exciting strides in the development of evidence-based medicine (EBM), defined as the conscientious, explicit, and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients (see Cynthia D. Mulrow and Kathleen N. Lohr in this issue).1 Medicine, long recognized as a sub-tile admixture of science and art, has moved notably in the direction of an exact science as new tools and techniques have been developed to help practitioners of “the healing arts” understand better what works in the treatment of patients. This dramatic expansion of medical knowledge and of the ways by which medical knowledge is advanced, is changing the face of medical practice A key aspect of this change has been the development of outcomes research, for systematic and large-scale study of the effects different diagnostic tools or therapies have when applied to large numbers of patients (see U.S. Congress 1994; Roper et al. 1988; Havighurst 1990).
Facilitated by the widespread use of computers to record and analyze medical
data and the standardization of encounter and treatment data outcomes research
is increasingly making it possible to know more precisely and certainly what is,
and is not, effective therapy.
Many in the health care community have welcomed this advance of knowledge,
but some see a potential downside for professional autonomy
When more is known about the “right” way to treat a particular condition, there
is less latitude for individual judgment. Clinicians, historically, accorded wide
latitude for the exercise of personal discretion in choosing, Treatments for their
patients, now feel increasing pressure to conform to establish norms of
treatment.
Teaching evidence-based medicine (EBM) has become common in family
medicine residency programs. EBM teaching usually takes the form of journal
clubs or encouraging residents to use EBM summaries of original articles. Both
have significant limitations. Residents and other physicians recognize that
understanding statistics is important for interpreting results. Unfortunately, they
report low self confidence in this area reflected by studies that show poor skills.

Physician numeracy refers to a broad range of mathematical skills needed for
practicing medicine, including the statistical knowledge necessary to interpret
original research papers. Numeracy should be given much more emphasis in
residency curricula and can form the foundation of EBM teaching.

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Target Group:
Medical students.
Beneficiaries:
1- Future healthcare workers.
2- Patients.

Objectives and indicators of success:

Goal 1: Measure the level of knowledge on EBM among IFMSA-Egypt members
to ensure the quality of the project.
Obj 1.1: opening Call for Local coordinators in LCs.
Obj 1.2: Creating a pre-survey to assess the level of knowledge on EBM among
IFMSA-Egypt Members.
Obj 1.3: Analysis of the survey in coordination with the RSD.

Goal 2: Creation of a sustainable accessible source of information and
knowledge about EBM for IFMSA-Egypt members to determine which source of
evidence is most appropriate for answering a particular clinical question.
Obj 2.1: Creating a background of refined data that will be the base for the
awareness about the EBM.
Obj 2.2: Preparation for the online materials & booklet in collaboration with the
RSDD, PSDD and PNSDD.

Goal 3: Phrase a clinical question so that it fits into one of the four main areas
(diagnosis, prognosis, intervention and harm) and can be answered by finding
and using the best evidence
Obj 3.1: Conducting a series of workshops or TOT to deliver all the knowledge
needed to make an appropriate decision.

Goal 4: Ensures the delivery of the information and data in concern to a vast
majority of the target population being the medical students, maintain easier
control for gathering the information and spreading it and maintain the
sustainability over a great period of time.
Obj 4.1: Conducting national online campaign (Including posts, the booklet and
several webinars on the topic). The campaign will include the online publication
on the following platforms:
A-Social Networks
B- Medical Forums &Blogs
C-Website Related to Medical Fields.

Goal 5: Ensure that medical students have the capability to practice evidence
based medicine.
Obj 5.1: Finding an appropriate platform for the attendees of the EBM
Comprehensive workshops to practice EBM.

Methodology:

1)Preparation and Collection of Data:
– Coordination with data collection team and research responsible for survey,
collecting, editing, proof reading the outcome nationally.
– Coordination with publication team responsible for designs of the online
campaign and booklet.
– Timeline form 1/11/2017 to 15 /1 /2018

2)National Workshops:
– At least 1 representative from each LC should know advanced course about
EBM and how it works.
– A series of workshops or national TOT will be held from: from 14-28/2/2018
3) Online Campaign:
Why?
– As it ensures the delivery of the information and data in concern to a vast
majority of the target population being the medical students Easier
control for gathering the info and spreading it
– Sustainability over a great period of time.
It will start after National workshops from 23/2/2018 and take 5 days till 26/2, in
coordination with publication team to make the materials/data/designs for online
campaign
The campaign will include the online publication on the following platforms:
A-Social Networks
B-Medical Forums &Blogs
C-Website Related to Medical Fields: National online campaign
4)Local Campaigns:
– Each LC is supposed to hold campaigns by spreading the information
mentioned at the national workshop to the majority of students
– Timeline depends on every LC in period of 3 months after the national
workshops and it ends in 25/5/2018

Plans for evaluation:

Monitoring:
1-Online communication with the Local Coordinators.
2- Regular LC visits to ensure the efficacy of the capacity building.

Evaluation:
1- Post Survey to assess the level of knowledge of those who attended the
workshops.
2- Evaluation of the online phases will be through the outreach of the online
campaigns on different platforms
*Targets:
a-National Workshops: 25 representatives 1 per LC.
b- Online Campaign: 3000 views.
c- Local Campaigns: 2,000 medical students.

3- Feedback sheets from the attendees in the workshops or TOT.
4- Reports filled by the Local Officers & Local Coordinators.