title: Does a 3-week critical research appraisal course affect how students perceive their appraisal skills and the relevance of research for clinical practice? A repeated cross-sectional survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Research utilisation is essential in developing evidence-based practices; although many students may be generally able to adopt such skills, there are reports of barriers related to critical appraisal skills.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore how students perceive the relevance of research to future clinical practice and patients, and to what extent they read research (including reading pattern). Additionally, the objective was to explore whether a three-week intensive course in critical appraisal of research could affect these variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey design, with a pre- and post-test.
  
  
  METHODS
  One large university college in Southeastern Norway.
  
  
  METHODS
  196 multidisciplinary healthcare students at baseline and 147 after three weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  A purposely-designed 21 item questionnaire was used to quantify students' attitudes towards using research and critical thinking. The questionnaire was based on themes emerging from prior focus group interviews with 10 nursing and social educator students as well as from the existing literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, 6.1% and 7.1% of respondents perceived the research to be of little or very little importance for their future work and patients, respectively. Furthermore, 83.2% reported that they seldom or very seldom read scientific papers. At baseline, 40 different patterns of reading a scientific paper were identified. Additionally, 7.1% of respondents reported to read the introduction, methods and conclusion in combination. Significantly improved scores were found after completing the three-week course related to a) relevance of research for future work (p<0.01), b) self-perceived skills in critical appraisal (p<0.001), c) ability to find scientific papers (p≤0.01), and d) relevance of research for patients and users (p≤0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Teaching students' practical critical appraisal skills improved their view of the relevance of research for patients, future work as well as their own critical appraisal skills. Prospective studies are warranted to explore the effects of such teaching modules in the long-term.
authors.affiliation: Østfold University College, Fredrikstad, Norway; Østfold Hospital Trust, Fredrikstad, Norway.
authors.forename: Lars-Petter
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Jelsness-Jørgensen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003479:Curriculum; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D013336:Students, Health Occupations / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013850:Thinking; D014495:Universities
keywords: Critical appraisal skills; Critical thinking; Evidence based practice; Research utilisation; Students