Medical students learning of reporting guidelines based on the EQUATOR Network

ID: 

218

Session: 

Poster session 2

Date: 

Monday 17 September 2018 - 12:30 to 14:00

All authors in correct order:

Dittrich N1, Leonel LF1, Pereira de Lima LR1, Barros EM1, Rocha LPDS1, Quintella ML1, Andrade LAF1, Silva LDGM1, Costa AAF1, Mateussi MV1, Ribeiro TK1, Braga VL1, Pacheco RL1, Pachito DV2, Logullo P2, Atallah ÁN2, Riera R2
1 Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Brazil
2 Cochrane Brazil, Brazil
Presenting author and contact person

Presenting author:

Nicole Dittrich Hosni

Contact person:

Nicole Dittrich Hosni
Rachel Riera
Abstract text
Background:
In 2013, a group of medical students from Universidade Federal de São Paulo conceived the first Brazilian Evidence-based Medicine (EBM) League to provide a setting for long-term EBM discussion and training. The group has several collaborators who encourage them to keep pursuing their main goal: to learn and spread the EBM culture to other colleagues. A key element of the League is the analysis of the most important EQUATOR (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research) guidelines, which is an international leadership to enhance the authenticity and value of medical research literature by promoting transparent and accurate reporting of research studies.

Objective:
To describe an experience of EQUATOR guidelines dissemination among medical students.

Method:
A journalist who attended the EQUATOR Network Course and EBM professors periodically provide lectures and assignments to the League participants regarding the reporting guidelines topic. The most important statements, CONSORT (CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials), STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology), PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses), CARE (CAse REporting), and AGREE (Appraisal of Guidelines for REsearch and Evaluation), are extensively discussed with the students.

Result:
The students learned how to apply the reporting guidelines and how to prepare scientific articles for publishing case reports, observational studies and systematic reviews. The long-term application of the knowledge is seen greatly among former League students, who are practicing theoretical concepts acquired by the elaboration of articles to disseminate studies produced locally.

Conclusion:
During the process of learning and applying those statements in detail, medical students learn how to report scientific information properly and to apply the knowledge to their own articles.

Patient involvement:
Well-grounded knowledge in the clinical practice is essential for the adequate guidance of patients, specially with the ever-mounting available literature. Aiming to arm students with tools to write articles and to analyze them critically, the League works towards guaranteeing that patients will be offered the best care by helping students understand and employ the guidelines in their day-to-day activities.

Attachments: 

Image icon PAHO WHO Research for Health Newsletter.png
Image icon Research for Health Newsletter PAHO WHO 2017 VIII.jpeg

Relevance to patients and consumers: 

Well-grounded and updated knowledge in the clinical practice is essential for the adequate conducting of patients through care, specially taking in account the ever-mounting literature, of both high and low standard, at the medical professional’s hand. Aiming to arm students with the tools to not only write articles but also to critically analyze those published in the scientific literature, the Evidence-based Medicine League works towards guaranteeing that patients will always be offered the best care by helping students understand and employ the EQUATOR guidelines in their day-to-day activities.