Newcastle University

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

To introduce and build on students’ previous knowledge of the principles and methods of evidence-based clinical practice and facilitate their application in the assessment of approaches to patient care in Restorative Dentistry.

Evidence-based practice is the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of patients. Having its origins in the fields of medicine and clinical epidemiology, EBP or EBD is an established element of safe and effective dental practice. Standard 7.1 of the UK General Dental Council’s document Standards for the Dental Team states ‘You must provide good quality care based on current evidence and authoritative guidance’. This module will build on students’ knowledge of how to judge the value of assessment procedures and interventions in the practice of Restorative dentistry.

Outline Of Syllabus

• What is evidence-based practice?
• Formulating answerable clinical questions.
• Searching for the best evidence.
• Hierarchy of evidence.
• Critically reviewing evidence.
• Systematic review and evidence synthesis
• Critically evaluating evidence in assessment (screening and diagnosis)
• Critically evaluating evidence in interventions
• Applying EBD in clinical practice

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will have knowledge of:

1. Critical appraisal techniques and how to formulate answerable clinical questions
2. Methods to search the literature for research-based evidence that addresses clinical questions
3. Tools to assess the methodological quality of research
4. The application of evidence-based findings to clinical practice

Intended Skill Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate the acquisition of information skills needed for evidence-based practice, including searching for relevant and high-quality literature using specialised bibliographic databases (e.g. Medline)
2. Demonstrate their ability to critically evaluate research evidence using the principles and methods of evidence-based practice
3. Present a critical review of evidence relating to a specific area of clinical interest. understand how their project relates to the current literature

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The student will formulate a focused clinical questions related to their own area of clinical interest (problem solving), search for quality evidence addressing the question (information and computer literacy, planning and organisation), critically appraise the evidence (problem solving, information literacy), draw conclusions from the evidence and make a general recommendation for a study that could be conducted in response to their conclusion (written communication, planning and organisation).

Students will have the opportunity to apply a variety of critical appraisal tools to the scientific and dental literature in their own specialist clinical area representing a range of study methodologies and map to the following outcomes: IKOs 1-4 and ISOs 1-3.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

Students will submit a critical appraisal (written communication) of a selected aspect of their chosen specialty clinical practice, as evaluated from the perspective of evidence-based practice (information literacy, problem solving, numeracy, computer literacy). To this end, students will apply the tools of CA and EBD to arrive at a conclusion about the value of the intervention or assessment practice and its place in their own clinical practice

Critical appraisal of literature in relation to a focused clinical assessment is designed so students can demonstrate attainment of the following outcomes: IKOs 1-4 and ISOs 1-3.

General Notes

N/A