2020 Volume 4 Article ID: 2019-033
In this study, we examined whether the ability of students to evaluate literature improved through an Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) educational course including team-based learning (TBL). We compared the results of the first and second individual readiness assurance test (iRAT). The results showed that the average score on the second iRAT was significantly higher than on the first iRAT (first 4.60 ± 2.11, second 6.49 ± 2.11, mean difference: 1.88 [95% CI, 1.45–2.31]). Questionnaire results indicated that students understood the content of the literature through the lecture about the test rather than through team discussions. Furthermore, we found that students recognized application exercises regarding what was important for understanding EBM. The results of factor analysis and the iRATs showed that students who highly self-evaluated their understanding of literature evaluations tended to score higher on iRAT scores. The findings confirmed that an EBM educational course including TBL is effective for improving the performance of pharmacy students when it comes to evaluating literature.
