Teaching a Deeper Understanding of the Medical Literature

Excerpt

Every day in exam rooms and hospitals, patients ask clinicians about medical treatments they have heard about from the news, social media, or direct-to-consumer advertising. To address these questions, clinicians must often evaluate evidence from primary sources such as clinical trials. Historically, medical education has relied on activities such as journal club and ad hoc clinical teaching to train learners to critically appraise research. These traditions are cornerstones of medical education, but like many traditions they must adapt to a changing environment. Medical evidence is produced more rapidly than ever, clinical trials have become more complex, and classroom-based learning is increasingly compressed for both physician trainees and advanced practice clinicians. Thus, modernized didactic frameworks and new platforms for education and mentorship are needed. We propose a range of strategies to teach healthcare professionals to critically appraise and effectively communicate scientific findings to patients. …