Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Management of Scientific Information (IMM2)
Teaching staff
Project tutorials
To establish the tutorial schedule, the tutors will send a doodle document to a representative of each of the working groups, detailing the days and hours available so that they can choose the one that suits them best. It will be taken into account that the schedules do not overlap with other activities of the subject and will be flexible in case of another type of incompatibility.
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Doubts and comments to the teaching staff:
Students may ask lecturers questions at the end of each class. For enquiries outside of class time, students must make an appointment by email:
- Dr. Albert Balaguer: abalaguer@uic.es (direction)
- Dra. Sandra Díaz: sdiaz@uic.es (coordination & tutorias)
- Dra. May Rivas: mayrivas5@gmail.com (LH & tutorias)
- Dra. Ivet Bayés: ibayes@uic.es (tutorias)
Introduction
The fundamental purpose of this subject is based on the confirmation of the great part of medical professionals, they have difficulty in selecting and reading biomedical information critically. And that happens precisely when access to information has become easier.
The explosion of information provided by the Internet is an opportunity (and also a challenge) to transform data into knowledge that can be used in clinical practice.
The purpose of this subject is to promote the skills of locating, selecting and understanding the best medical information.
This course makes it easier for us to be more variable when it comes to ask questions, formulate structurally, identify the best answers and evaluate according to their degree of credibility.
IMM2 promotes autonomous thinking and a healthy critical attitude towards medical information. The skills acquired in the subject will multiply our ability to read and understand medical research, to apply throughout the career and in future professional practice.
Almost three quarters of IMM2 is approached with very practical active methodology:
- Skills Laboratories (LH)
- Case Methods (MC) and
- Team project: it is the axis on which all the learning revolves. The operational teams guided by a tutor that encourages the integration and practice of what is being worked on in the LH and MC.
Objectives
Bases of medical knowledge/ “Evidence based medicine”
1. Knowing how scientific and medical knowledge is generated.
2. Becoming familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of clinical research.
3. Identifying the main types of clinical research study designs with their applications, advantages and limitations.
4. Knowing the main models of critical research synthesis.
Formulating questions and searching for information
1. Learning to formulate structured clinical questions.
2. Knowing and learning to use the main database of research studies.
3. Knowing the main characteristics of the different sources of information.
4. Learning to use secondary sources of information that synthesize and critically evaluate the available information.
Critical evaluation of scientific information
1. Knowing the main approaches for the evaluation of the quality and risk of bias of the main study designs, integrating them into the process of answering the clinical question.
2. Learning to evaluate the quality of the available scientific information
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- 06 - Develop professional practice with other health professionals, acquiring teamwork skills.
- 31 - Understand, critically evaluate and know how to use sources of clinical and biomedical information to obtain, organize, interpret and communicate scientific and health care information.
- 32 - Know how to use information and communication technology in clinical, therapeutic, preventive health care and research.
- 34 - Ability for critical thinking, creativity and constructive skeptisim with a focus on research within professional practice.
- 35 - Understand the importance and limitations of scientific thinking in the study, prevention and treatment of disease.
- CB-5 - To transmit in a clear and unambiguous way to a specialised or non-specialised audience, the results of scientific and technological research projects and innovation from the field of the most advanced innovation, as well as the most important concepts which they are based on.
Learning outcomes of the subject
It is intended for the students to be able to acquire and apply the basic tools that facilitate them to locate and understand the methodology used in the studies published in different biomedical journals, as well as interpret the validity, scope and limitations of their results.
At the end of this subject and after a given clinical situation, the students must be able to:
1. Prepare a health decision question in a structured way.
2. Select the most useful resources to locate relevant information.
3. Develop efficient search strategies.
4. Identify the design of identified studies and types of publications.
Syllabus
Bases of medical knowledge / "Evidence Based Medicine".
1.- Knowledge generation
-Causality, validity and bias.
2.- Clinical research: classification of the different study designs.
-Observational studies
-Experimental studies
-Synthesis of scientific literature
Narrative reviews and systematic review. Meta-analysis.
3.- Introduction to scientific communication and dissemination.
Question formulation and search for information
1.- Formulation of structured questions.
-The PECOT format for the formulation of structured questions.
Search for scientific information
-Foundations for a search strategy design
-Efficient use of scientific information resources
- Efficient use of the available information resources
- Efficient use of different search engines/bases
- Efficient use of different search engines/bases (PubMed, Tripdatabase, Cochrane library, ...)
Critical evaluation of scientific information
1.- Conceptual bases of the critical reading of the literature
-Calculation and interpretation of results
-Applicability of the results
2.- Critical reading of a clinical trial.
3.- Critical reading of a systematic review.
Teaching and learning activities
In person
· CASE METHOD·
Bases of medical knowledge/”Evidence Based Medicine”
In front of abstract and diverse articles: recognizing what type of article it is and the type of design that it responds to.
Establish the most appropriate study designs in a specific case
Formulating questions and searching for information
Ask properly structured questions from different clinical scenarios.
From these questions, being able to decide where to look and which search strategy may be more appropriate for the resolution of these scenarios.
Critical evaluation of scientific information
Critically evaluate different study designs using current scientific publications as an example. Students will complete structured critical readings of at least one clinical trial and a systematic review.
Presentation of the different proposals for the publication in biomedical journals of the research results, depending on their study design. Discussion of your need and its scope.
· COMPUTER LABORATORY PRACTICES ·
Information research: available resources, possible strategies and research engines. How to locate the main study designs?
Advanced information research (PubMed)
TEAM PROJECT
Scenarios will be proposed identifying signs and symptoms of common clinical pathologies, defining the specific population that they affect (if applicable). From the scenario, students should establish:
- Structured question (PECOT)
- Important outcome variables
Based on this information, the bibliographic search strategy will be defined, mainly in Medline/Pubmed. The knowledge acquired in the skills laboratories will be put into practice.
Articles that can respond to the problem presented in the scenario should be identified. The selection of the final article will be made from observational, experimental and/or review studies, published in various scientific journals. Minimum 3 and maximum 4 studies must be selected from which the students must justify the selection and discard each of these as a possible response to the scenario.
The final answer is expected to come from a systematic review with meta-analysis. Once the review study has been selected, its scientific rigor will be analyzed based on the parameters indicated in the project dossier, which in turn correspond to the knowledge taught in class.
Tutorials
There will be 3 tutorials of 15-20 minutes each throughout the course:
- Tutorial 1: the scenario, the identification of the PECOT question and the variables of importance will be discussed.
- Tutorial 2: the chosen studies will be analyzed as a possible response to the scenario. Students will detail the reasons for choosing, advantages, disadvantages and doubts about it.
- Tutorial 3: students will explain the selection of the systematic review and meta-analysis study, and the doubts regarding the aspects to be evaluated.
Evaluation systems and criteria
In person
35% Continuous evaluation
- Partial Exam: Weight: 10% of the total mark
- Project mark . Weight : 25% of the total
Written delivery (20% of the total project assessment)
The final project dossier will be delivered evaluating the systematic review and meta-analysis which responds to the proposed scenario.
Oral presentation (5% of the total evaluation of the project)
The final project will be presented on 3 different days. Students will prepare a PowerPoint presentation with the fundamental aspects that have been evaluated from the systematic review. At the time of the presentation, the teachers will choose the sections to present and the student who will do it.
In addition, the answers to the questions of the rest of the groups and the teachers will be valued. As well as asking questions to other presentations.
- Contribution: Lectures, MC, forums, implication in the project, tutorial classes follow-up, etc. (up to an additional 10%)
65% Final Exam
Multiple answer exam (test type). Evaluation: MIR type. The Exam multiple answer test revision will be done in groups.
Note: You will need a minimum mark of 5 over 10 in your Final Exam to be able to do the mean between all your marks. Attendance to practical lab classes (IT) is compulsory.
Final evaluation criterion: having positive evaluations in theoretical and practical aspects and also a distinguished continuous evaluation will be reflected in the final mark gradually: as a B (‘notable’) (from 7 to 8.9), an A (‘sobresaliente’) (9 or more) and, excepcionally, with distinction (‘matrícula de honor’), in agreement with the rest of the current rules.
Bibliography and resources
- Dan Mayer, Essential Evidence-Based Medicine. 1. ESSENTIAL. EVIDENCE-BASED. MEDICINE . Dan. Mayer, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Users' Guides to the Medical Literature: A Manual for Evidence-Based Clinical Practice, Second Edition (Jama & Archives Journals)
- Medicina Basada en la Evidencia. Fisterra. Atención Primaria en la red. Disponible en: http://www.fisterra.com/mbe/index.asp
- Cómo se prueban los tratamientos. Disponible en: http://www.jameslindlibrary.org/tt-downloads.html
- Evidence-Based Practice Workbook, 2nd edition. Blackwell Publishing. BMJ Books.
- Grimes DA, Schulz KF. An overview of clinical research: the lay of the land. Lancet. 2002;359(9300):57-61. PMID: 11809203.
- How to Read a Paper. The Basics of Evidence-Based Medicine and Healthcare. Greenhalgh, T. 6ª Ed. 2019. ISBN-13: 978111948474r