Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2013 Jun;5(2):252-6.
doi: 10.4300/JGME-D-12-00049.1.

Validation of an Evidence-Based Medicine Critically Appraised Topic Presentation Evaluation Tool (EBM C-PET)

Hans B Kersten, John G Frohna, Erin L Giudice

Validation of an Evidence-Based Medicine Critically Appraised Topic Presentation Evaluation Tool (EBM C-PET)

Hans B Kersten et al. J Grad Med Educ. 2013 Jun.

Abstract

Background: Competence in evidence-based medicine (EBM) is an important clinical skill. Pediatrics residents are expected to acquire competence in EBM during their education, yet few validated tools exist to assess residents' EBM skills.

Objective: We sought to develop a reliable tool to evaluate residents' EBM skills in the critical appraisal of a research article, the development of a written EBM critically appraised topic (CAT) synopsis, and a presentation of the findings to colleagues.

Methods: Instrument development used a modified Delphi technique. We defined the skills to be assessed while reviewing (1) a written CAT synopsis and (2) a resident's EBM presentation. We defined skill levels for each item using the Dreyfus and Dreyfus model of skill development and created behavioral anchors using a frame-of-reference training technique to describe performance for each skill level. We evaluated the assessment instrument's psychometric properties, including internal consistency and interrater reliability.

Results: The EBM Critically Appraised Topic Presentation Evaluation Tool (EBM C-PET) is composed of 14 items that assess residents' EBM and global presentation skills. Resident presentations (N = 27) and the corresponding written CAT synopses were evaluated using the EBM C-PET. The EBM C-PET had excellent internal consistency (Cronbach α = 0.94). Intraclass correlation coefficients were used to assess interrater reliability. Intraclass correlation coefficients for individual items ranged from 0.31 to 0.74; the average intraclass correlation coefficients for the 14 items was 0.67.

Conclusions: We identified essential components of an assessment tool for an EBM CAT synopsis and presentation with excellent internal consistency and a good level of interrater reliability across 3 different institutions. The EBM C-PET is a reliable tool to document resident competence in higher-level EBM skills.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE
FIGURE
EBM C-PET Development Timeline Abbreviation: EBM, evidence-based medicine.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Straus SE, Richardson WS, Glasziou P, Haynes RB. Evidence-Based Medicine: How to Practice and Teach EBM. 3rd ed. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone; 2005.
    1. Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. 2007. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Pediatrics. http://www.acgme.org/acgmeweb/Portals/0/PFAssets/ProgramRequirements/320.... Accessed April 1, 2013.
    1. Tilson JK, Kaplan SL, Harris JL, Hutchinson A, Ilic D, Niederman R, et al. Sicily statement on classification and development of evidence-based practice learning assessment tools. BMC Med Ed. 2011;11:78–87. doi:10.1186/1472-6920-11-78. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Coomarasamy A, Khan KS. What is the evidence that postgraduate teaching in evidence based medicine changes anything? a systematic review. BMJ. 2004;329(7473):1017–1021. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Parkes J, Hyde C, Deeks JJ, Milne R. Teaching critical appraisal skills in health care settings. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2001;Issue 11:Art. No.: CD001270. doi: 10.1002/14651858. - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources