Evidence Based Practice for the Medical Librarian
Updated Registration Process
In order to create a more equitable registration process and allow participates in various time zones to have an equal chance of being selected for the course, the new registration process will be as follows:
If you are interested taking the EBM course for Spring 2023 (official dates coming soon), please fill out this survey. Note: If you do not fill out this survey, you will not be added to the interest list. The previous interest list will not be used.
Four weeks before the Spring course begins, the survey will be closed and 15 participants will be selected at random and offered registration.
The interest list will be notified that registration has closed and the Fall 2023 interest survey will be sent out.
If you have questions about the new registration process, please contact Kaitlyn Marlowe.
Course Description
This 8-week online course is designed to be an introduction to the process of evidence-based practice (EBP) and to the supporting roles and opportunities for medical librarians. Participants will learn how to identify the basic study designs for clinical medicine, compose focused clinical questions, peer review search strategies, and assess the risk of bias in published studies. As you move through the content, you will be able to identify roles librarians can undertake in providing EBP training and support.
The format of the course is a combination of a printed manual, independent readings, videos, webinars, and practice through a series of exercises. Instructors will guide you through the material and provide individual feedback for the exercises.
The course is approved for 3 academic credits. UNC SILS students are expected to attend a MEDLINE session via Zoom by one of the instructors and write a research paper related to EBP and Medical Librarianship. For UNC SILS students - the course will end on November 30th.
This course is also open to practicing librarians. It has been approved for 35 MLA contact hours. It will take approximately 30 hours to complete the course, depending on previous knowledge of EBP and other factors.
For more information about the course, please e-mail Sarah Cantrell. For registration information, please e-mail Kaitlyn Marlowe who will add you to the interest list for notification of registration for the next session.
Course Objectives
After completing this class, participants should be able to:
- Identify and explain the 6 steps in the practice of EBP
- Identify the major study designs in clinical medicine
- Identify the parts of a well-built clinical question
- Identify appropriate resources to answer clinical questions
- Identify and explain the potential risks of bias in randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews.
- Identify and explain the potential risks of bias for at least one other type of study (prognosis, harm or diagnosis)
- Identify at least 4 roles for librarians in supporting EBP education and practice for health care professionals
Course Outline
Week One and Two: Introduction and Question Building
- What is EBM?
- Why is EBM important?
- Is it reasonable to expect evidence from the literature?
- What are the controversial issues surrounding EBM?
- What is the librarian's role in EBM?
- Constructing a well-built clinical question
- Class Review 1 and Exercise 1
- Selecting resources
- Searching MEDLINE
- How to teach MEDLINE within context of EBM
- Class Review 2 and Exercise 2
- Role of the Librarian
- Appraising articles on Diagnosis
- Appraising articles on Therapy
- Appraising articles on Prognosis
- Appraising articles on Etiology/Harm
- Appraising articles on Overviews
- Class Review 3 and Exercise 3
- Roles for the Librarian
- Final Assignment (and Final Project for UNC SILS students only)
- Class evaluation
