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. 2024 Dec 31;29(1):2357411.
doi: 10.1080/10872981.2024.2357411. Epub 2024 May 24.

Effect of a workplace-based learning program on clerkship students' behaviors and attitudes toward evidence-based medicine practice

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Effect of a workplace-based learning program on clerkship students' behaviors and attitudes toward evidence-based medicine practice

Hajime Kasai et al. Med Educ Online. .

Abstract

In clinical clerkship (CC), medical students can practice evidence-based medicine (EBM) with their assigned patients. Although CC can be a valuable opportunity for EBM education, the impact of EBM training, including long-term behavioral changes, remains unclear. One hundred and nine fourth- and fifth-year medical students undergoing CC at a medical school in Japan attended a workplace-based learning program for EBM during CC (WB-EBM), which included the practice of the five steps of EBM. The program's effect on the students' attitudes toward EBM in CC was assessed through questionnaires. A total of 88 medical students participated in the program. Responses to the questionnaire indicated high satisfaction with the WB-EBM program. The most common theme in students' clinical problems with their assigned patients was the choice of treatment, followed by its effect. Based on the responses in the post-survey for the long-term effects of the program, the frequency of problem formulation and article reading tended to increase in the 'within six months' group comprising 18 students who participated in the WB-EBM program, compared with the control group comprising 34 students who did not. Additionally, the ability to self-assess problem formulation was significantly higher, compared with the control group. However, among 52 students who participated in the WB-EBM program more than six months later, EBM-related behavioral habits in CC and self-assessments of the five steps of EBM were not significantly different from those in the control group. The WB-EBM program was acceptable for medical students in CC. It motivated them to formulate clinical questions and enhanced their critical thinking. Moreover, the WB-EBM program can improve habits and self-evaluations about EBM. However, as its effects may not last more than six months, it may need to be repeated across departments throughout CC to change behavior in EBM practice.

Keywords: Evidence-based medicine; clinical clerkship; medical students; peer-review; workplace-based.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram of the design.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Flow diagram showing the reasons for participant exclusion from the analysis.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Comparison of the long-term effect of the program for attitudes and behaviors of EBM practice between the WB-EBM and control groups (n = 104).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Comparison of the long-term effect of the program for self-assessment of competency in EBM of the program between the WB-EBM and control groups.

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Grants and funding

This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI Grant number JP21K17244.

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