Are RCTs addressing evidence based healthcare education following evidence based research approach?

Article type
Authors
Zajac J1, Poklepovic-Pericic T2, Preventer T3, Lund H4, Pingani L5, van Eerdenburgh S6, van Hoof J7, Lanta T8, Piedade Brandão M9, Sawiec Z10, Maraj M1, Prokop-Dorner A11, Bała M1
1Chair Of Epidemiology, Department Of Hygiene And Dietetics, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Poland, Krakow, Poland
2Department of Research in Biomedicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
3Faculty of Psychotherapy Science, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna, Austria; Faculty of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University Vienna - Ljubljana Branch, Ljubljana, Slovenia
4Section Evidence-Based Practice, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway
5Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, Università degli Studi di Modena , Reggio Emilia, Italy; Dipartimento ad Attività Integrata Salute Mentale e Dipendenze Patologiche, Azienda USL-IRCCS di Reggio Emilia,, Reggio Emilia, Italy
6Department of Speech-Language Pathology, Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, Antwerp, Belgium
7Faculty of Social Work & Education, Research Group of Urban Ageing, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, The Netherlands; Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Geodesy, Institute of Spatial Management, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Wrocław, Poland
8Department of Nursing Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland; Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health and Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, United Kingdom
9Health School, CINTESIS@RISE, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, Portugal
10 Chair Of Epidemiology, Department Of Hygiene And Dietetics, Scientific research group of systematic reviews,Jagiellonian University, Medical College, , Krakow, Poland
11Department of Medical Sociology, Chair of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
Abstract
Background: Making decision on the basis of evidence (Evidence based healthcare, EBHC) is currently widely adopted by all medical and health related fields, and included in many university curricula for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate health care professionals (HCP). In 2014 the umbrella review focusing on the effects of EBHC education concluded that for medicine and medicine-allied undergraduates and postgraduates any type of EBHC education (vs. no intervention) improves their EBHC knowledge and/or attitude and/or skills and/or practice and/or behavior. Additional studies comparing any kind of EBHC education vs no intervention are, therefore, not needed anymore. On the other hand the review clearly identified what type of future research is needed in this filed.
Objective: The aim of this cross-sectional study is to examine whether the conclusions of the first landmark umbrella review on EBHC education were taken into account in the design of subsequent randomized controlled trials focusing on EBHC education, if included studies justified the need of the new study and/or contextualized results with other systematic reviews or meta-analyses or their own systematic search.
Methods: We searched 7 databases (OVID EMBASE, OVID Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, ERIC, and ProQuest). Results are being screened against the eligibility criteria (i.e. RCT study design, any EBHC intervention, published since 2015 onwards) by 2 independent reviewers. Included studies will be extracted and assessed in their risk of bias using Cochrane Risk of Bias tool 1.0. Each step will be preceded by piloting. We will conduct narrative and quantitative synthesis.
Results: 17290 studies were included for initial search. We piloted extraction form and we are in the process of screening. We will present the results during Conference.
Relevance for patients: Our study fits into the context of activities against research waste and unnecessary research efforts, which in case of assessing the effects of teaching EBHC to healthcare professions does not have direct relevance to patients, but can indirectly contribute to improving use of evidence in clinical practice and as a consequence benefit patients.