Evaluation of Educational Intervention to Teach Principles of Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) in Biology Classes

Phase II Study of a Short Term Educational Intervention for Upcoming Biology Teachers to Teach Principles of Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) in Biology Classes at High-school

The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of a short term educational intervention for upcoming biology teachers to teach principles of Evidence-based Medicine (EbM) and Good Scientific Practice (GSP) to high-school biology students.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Experimental educational intervention; Behavioral: Standard educational intervention

Detailed Description

Shared decision making is increasingly demanded by patients in order to take part in health care decisions. However this demand for autonomy can only be used for shared decision making if the patient has basic skills in critical health literacy. To transfer health care literacy to young and healthy consumers educational intervention programs at high-school might be a feasible and effective way. This preliminary phase 2 study is designed to investigate the effect of an educational intervention to be integrated in a curriculum for upcoming teachers in biology.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 87
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Germany
  • Siegen, Germany, 57068
    • University of Siegen, Section of biology and und their didactics

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• students becoming biology teachers at participating university during enrollment period

Exclusion Criteria:

• refusal to participate in study

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Experimental educational intervention	Behavioral: Experimental educational intervention; Educational intervention consisting of a 4-day-course in Evidence-based Medicine and Good Scientific Practice combined with the method of Problem-based Learning.
Active Comparator: Standard educational intervention	Behavioral: Standard educational intervention; Educational intervention on the didactics of biology (4-day-course) not containing elements of Evidence-based Medicine, Good Scientific Practice or Problem-based learning.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in knowledge about EbM/GSP	Difference in knowledge about EbM/GSP measured by alternating standardized, pre-validated, single-best/short-answer questionnaires consisting of 20 questions each	Before (day1), during (day 2) and after (day 4) intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in skills about critically appraising scientific literature	Difference in skills about critically appraising scientific literature measured by alternating randomized-controlled trials evaluated by a standardized checklist related to items of the CONSORT statement.	Before (day 1), during (day 2) and after (day 4) intervention
Skills in teaching principles of EbM and GSP to high school students in intervention group	Skill in teaching principles of EbM and GSP are evaluated for preparation of lessons using a standardized preparation form and performance of lessons evaluated by transcription of video tapes from each participant in the intervention group using a consented evaluation catalogue	After educational intervention (day 5)
Overall acceptance of educational intervention study participants	Overall acceptance of educational intervention is evaluated by standardized questionnaires at day 2 and day 4 in the educational intervention group.	During (day 2) and after intervention (day 4)
Overall acceptance of study lessons for biology high-school students	Overall acceptance of study lessons for biology high-school students is evaluated by a standardized questionnaire at day 5.	After study lessons (day 5)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Goethe University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Reinhard Strametz, MD, EbM Working Group, Institute for General Practice, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe University, Frankfurt/Germany

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Matic-Strametz M, Strametz R, Bohrt K, Ochsendorf F, Weberschock T. [Students in Training to Become Biology Teachers - a controlled phase II trial (NCT01567267)]. Z Evid Fortbild Qual Gesundhwes. 2013;107(1):53-61. doi: 10.1016/j.zefq.2012.11.017. Epub 2012 Dec 7. German.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: February 1, 2010
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): September 1, 2018
• Study Completion (Anticipated): May 1, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 14, 2012
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 29, 2012
• First Posted (Estimate): March 30, 2012

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 3, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 1, 2017
• Last Verified: March 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Educational intervention; Evidence-based Medicine; Good Scientific Practice; Problem-based Learning; Critical health literacy
• Other Study ID Numbers: EbM@Bio-01