ORI1060 Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in Health Care Course description

The language is normally English.

This joint course is developed for all the Bachelor programmes at the Faculty of Health Sciences which are part of RETHOS (National guidelines for the Health and Social Studies), and is considered as an introductory course, preferably taken during the first part of the study programme.

In this course, starting with relatable examples, students will learn about asking critical questions about health claims and the sources of claims. This is followed up by focusing on the rationale for evidence-based practice (EBP) and its Core Competencies: Ask, Acquire, Appraise and Interpret, Apply, and Evaluate, and shared decision-making. The course provides a foundation for learning and applying more advanced and field-specific skills.

Grade scale A-F

The student must have been admitted to the study programme.

On successful completion of the course, the student has acquired the following learning outcomes classified as knowledge, skills and competence:

Knowledge

The student

• can define what EBP is and recognizes the rationale for EBP and shared decision making
• knows the steps of EBP
• is familiar with the levels in the S-pyramid and acknowledges the difference between single studies and systematic reviews
• knows the characteristics of a scientific article, e.g. IMRAD
• can explain the purpose and characteristics of qualitative and quantitative studies and syntheses of studies, e.g. systematic reviews
• understands the principles for critical appraisal and knows how to use check lists for different study designs, clinical guidelines and professional procedures
• knows different types of categorical and continuous measures of association and effect, and key graphical presentations

Skills

The student

• can identify different types of professional/clinical questions, such as questions about treatment, diagnosis, prognosis, experiences and etiology
• can, for each type of clinical question, identify the preferred order of study designs
• can formulate searchable professional/clinical questions using e.g. PICO and variations of PICO
• can construct and carry out an appropriate and simple search strategy for professional/clinical questions from the top of the S-pyramid

General competencies

The student

• can critically assess health claims in the media
• can discuss the importance of user knowledge, clinical experience, and summarized research in clinical decision-making

The teaching is mainly designed with "flipped classroom" and learning activities in class and smaller groups. Digital learning resources such as digital lectures, videos and films will be available to the students in advance. Students are recommended to use these resources and to be prepared before the lectures and the seminars. The students are specially recommended to participate at the presentation seminar since this seminar offers a unique opportunity for learning.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• Compulsory attendance at the seminar on literature search (normally week 1 of the course).Compensatory work requirement if not present: The student must choose a different health claim, create a PICO based on this health claim, and describe a search for this PICO in Up-To-Date, Health Library according to guidelines or in Cochrane Library. The assignment is not academically assessed by the person with the course responsibility, but it will be registered (in Fagpersonweb) that the work requirement has been submitted and the student will find the registration in studentweb.
• Compulsory attendance at the Help-desk seminar (normally week 2 of the course) where students/exam groups ask questions and receive answers/guidance on the exam assignment. Compensatory work requirement if not present: In case of absence, students must submit 2 questions to the exam assignment and provide an academic justification for the questions of up to 100 words. The assignment is not academically assessed by the person with the course responsibility, but it will be registered (in Fagpersonweb) that the work requirement has been submitted and the student will find the registration in studentweb.

Project examination, consisting of a group assignment with up to 7 students, based on a case with a health claim in the media. The assignment will include the levels of the EBP model. The assignment is submitted as a written paper of 1500 words (+/- 10 prosent) according to further specified criteria.

Each group decides whether their assignment is to be submitted in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

Resit exam: If the assignment is given the grade fail, the group can submit a revised version once.

If this attempt fails, the group is entitled to a third and final attempt. In a third attempt, the group must choose a new health claim and submit a new examination paper.

In the BSCA specialisation, campus-based lectures, discussion from readings, exercises and Interteaching are the main teaching methods. Literature from the curriculum for the Interteaching sequences are announced at the university’s digital learning platform. In the BSII specialisation, the main teaching method is digital course sequences, and feedback on details of course content, and supervised discussion groups will be available during pre-determined time periods. Feedback on written assignments is used in both specialisations.

The following required coursework must be approved before the student can take the exam:

• 3 individual written assignments submitted digitally, each with a maximum length of 6000 characters, including spaces. References are to be included in the 6000 characters.

Individual school examination, 5 hours. Exam questions are in English. Students may submit their exams in Norwegian, Swedish, Danish or English.

All answers are assessed by one examiner.

An external examiner is used regularly, at a minimum of every third completion of the course. When selecting answers for external evaluation, a minimum of 10 percent of the answers shall be included, with no fewer than 5 answers. The external examiner’s assessment of the selected answers shall benefit all students.