title: Longitudinal teaching of evidence-based decision making.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether longitudinal design and delivery of evidence-based decision making (EBDM) content was effective in increasing students' knowledge, skills, and confidence as they progressed through a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) curriculum.
  
  
  METHODS
  Three student cohorts were followed from 2005 to 2009 (n=367), as they learned about EBDM through lectures, actively researching case-based questions, and researching and writing answers to therapy-based questions generated in practice settings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Longitudinal evaluations included repeated multiple-choice examinations, confidence surveys, and written answers to practice-based questions (clinical inquiries). Students' knowledge and perception of EBDM principles increased over each of the 3 years. Students' self-efficacy (10-items, p<0.0001) and perceived skills (7-items, p<0.0001) in applying EBDM skills to answer practice-based questions also increased. Graded clinical inquiries verified that students performed satisfactorily in the final 2 years of the program.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated a successful integration of EBDM throughout the curriculum. EBDM can effectively be taught by repetition, use of real examples, and provision of feedback.
authors.affiliation: University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Pharmacy, Madison, WI 53705-2222, USA. bamartin@pharmacy.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Beth A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Connie K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: Su-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D002983:Clinical Competence; D003479:Curriculum; D003657:Decision Making; D004512:Education, Pharmacy / Q000379:methods*; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D007858:Learning; D020377:Self Efficacy; D013339:Students, Pharmacy / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods*