Teaching evidence-based psychiatry: integrating and aligning the formal and hidden curricula

Abstract

Objective: The authors argue that adopting evidence-based psychiatry will require a paradigm shift in the training of psychiatry residents, and offer some suggestions for how this transformation might be achieved.

Methods: The authors review the growing literature that addresses how best to teach evidence-based medicine and highlight several examples of innovative instructional and assessment methods.

Results: Little is known about how best to instill among residents the attitudes, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that are necessary to practice evidence-based psychiatry. However, there are indications that the integration of evidence-based medicine instruction into routine clinical care and the alignment of the "hidden curriculum" with evidence-based practice are important.

Conclusion: A whole-program approach may be necessary to create the conditions required in postgraduate training to produce evidence-based psychiatrists.