Skip to content | Change text size
 

Evidence in Practice

Evidence based practice - VCG5011

Unit summary
This unit will provide students with theoretical information on evidence-based practice as well as the skills to incorporate evidence-based medicine into their clinical practice. Topics will include: formulation of clinical questions, searching the literature for best evidence, evaluating the evidence, and applying the evidence in patient care.

Objectives
At the completion of this unit the participant will be able to:

  • Formulate and answer clinical questions
  • Evaluate the literature for validity and clinical utility
  • Use electronic and paper based resources to assist in patient care
  • Search relevant databases for current best evidence
  • Appreciate the role of guidelines and decision support software in guiding therapy

Prescribed text
Guyatt G, Rennie D, eds. Users' Guides to the Medical Literature. Essentials of evidence-based  clinical practice (2nd Edition) McGraw-Hill Professional, 2008.

Introduction to epidemiology and biostatistics -ECX9720

Unit summary
Differences between descriptive & analytical epidemiology, strengths & weaknesses of different epidemiological study design & basic concepts & methods of biostatistics including confidence intervals, p-values & sample size, statistical tests for comparing groups, regression models & survival analysis. Design & evaluation of clinical trials.

Objectives
At the completion of this unit the participant will be able to:

  • appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of different epidemiological study designs;
  • demonstrate an understanding of basic concepts and methods of biostatistics;
  • interpret confidence intervals, p-values and sample size;
  • use epidemiological and biostatistical principles to critically evaluate epidemiological research.

Journal club - VCG6012

Unit summary
This unit will require each student to present two Journal clubs to the class, following the guidelines introduced in VCG5011 (Evidence based practice). Journal articles for reviews will be clinical trials (including but not limited to Randomised Controlled Trials) of therapy and will be assessed according to their validity, importance and applicability. This assessment will incorporate a description of the study design and standard of reporting. Students will choose one article themselves, and be allocated one article by the course coordinator.

Objectives
At the completion of this unit the participant will be able to:

  • Assess a clinical trial for validity, importance and applicability
  • Present the results of the assessment in a 20 minute seminar
  • Discuss the trial in depth and respond to questions generated from the audience
  • Read the biomedical literature with a critical approach

Workload requirements evidence in practice units
It is expected that each unit will require participants to allocate up to 12 hours per week for 13 weeks (a total of 156 hours per study period) per six points to successfully complete these units. Given individual differences in learning styles it is expected that this time allocation is sufficiently reasonable for students to interact with the unit facilitators, study the prepared unit materials, listen to lectures and tutorials and undertake the assessment tasks.