Improving pharmacists’ confidence in evidence based decision making using a web-based teaching tool

Aims: To develop a structured Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) teaching and assessment tool for postgraduate clinical pharmacy program and to measure its perceived usefulness in improving clinical practice of enrolled pharmacists.

Methods: Pharmacists enrolled in the postgraduate clinical pharmacy program were asked to answer specific problems using structured EBM approach. All students were asked to construct a Patient, Intervention, Comparison and Outcomes (PICO) table; frame an answerable clinical question and provide a concise solution of each problem presented to them as a clinical case. Short video presentations were created explaining the purpose of structured EBM teaching and assessment tools. Anonymous survey to measure hospital pharmacists’ perceived usefulness of the teaching tool in improving their clinical practice was sent to all pharmacists enrolled in coursework unit for clinical pharmacy course.

Results: 115 students enrolled in postgraduate clinical pharmacy courses attempted five cases each using structured EBM teaching and assessment tool. The majority of pharmacists rated EBM teaching and assessment tool positively. Around 70% of the pharmacists found structured approach useful for teaching and learning of EBM principles. 69% of the pharmacists reported that structured EBM approach has made them more confident in solving day to day clinical problems using current literature. Pharmacists also found structured approach has helped them in gaining additional understanding of contemporary clinical issues related to their discipline beyond the scope of the initial EBM question. More than 80% of the pharmacists found associated teaching material such as video presentations and ‘walk through’ solving of practice cases, useful to them.

Conclusion: Successful integration of a structured EBM teaching and assessment tool was positively received by the enrolled pharmacists. Web-based delivery of EBM teaching and assessment tool can be successfully integrated in Continuous Professional Development plan of practicing pharmacist to improve their clinical practice.