Teaching Information Mastery: An Evidence-Based Approach to Medical Education [Dec 1997; 46-8]

Teaching Information Mastery: An Evidence-Based Approach to Medical Education
Dear Bandolier I teach at The University of Virginia, The Department of Family Medicine. My colleagues and I are planning our third annual workshop for teaching "Information Mastery". We have published much of our material focusing on how to use the concepts of Evidence-based medicine and apply them in a practical fashion to the real world of private practice (see Slawson DC, Shaughnessy AF. Obtaining useful information from expert based sources. BMJ 1997;314:947-9). We regularly read Bandolier and highly recommend it to our course participants. Would you possibly consider posting the following announcement in your newsletter? Thanks!- Dave Slawson Teaching Information Mastery: An Evidence-Based Approach to Medical Education Faculty Development Workshop at The University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA., April 2-5, 1998 Course Directors: David C. Slawson, MD; Allen F. Shaughnessy, PharmD; Lorne A. Becker, MD Practicing and teaching Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) requires more than just journal reading skills. Current EBM techniques are time-consuming and rarely employed by the busy clinician. In addition to answering patient-specific questions, practicing clinicians are frequently in the mode of "keeping up-to-date": i.e. with new information provided by CME, experts/colleagues, pharmaceutical representatives, newsletters, practice guidelines and other sources. In this mode, the issue of RELEVANCE becomes paramount - clinicians must know not only HOW to read, but WHAT and WHEN (Patient-oriented evidence that matters - POEMs vs. Disease-oriented evidence - DOEs). This highly interactive four day workshop focuses on strategies to manage the entire array of available information in a practical and time efficient manner. Participants will be given instructions and materials aimed at allowing them to teach an Evidence-Based curriculum at their home institution. The use of handheld computer software containing "just-in-time" versus "just-in-case" information will be demonstrated. Please join us for a spectacular spring event in the Blue Ridge Mountains of "Mr. Jefferson's Virginia"! For further information please contact Greg Volkar in the Office of Continuing Medical Education at gpv4c@virginia.edu. David C. Slawson, MD, Associate Professor Department of Family Medicine, Box 414 UVA-HSC Health Sciences Center Charlottesville, VA 22908 voice: 804.924.1165 Fax: 804.982.4306

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