• Recognize “valid” health care research.
• Know when valid health care research is “ready” for application.
• Quickly detect whether a research study applies to your patients.
• Select appropriate research findings to influence patient management.
• Protect patients from misleading claims of product and method promoters.
• Improve patient outcomes by selecting interventions supported by the best evidence.
• Quantify the bias (or lack of bias) in any research study.
• Identify the type of proof required before accepting any intervention.
• Judge interventions that have evidence and those without evidence.
• Integrate the best evidence into practice.
  

Program Agenda
12-hour program: Saturday 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM - 12:00 PM
18-hour program: Friday 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Saturday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sunday 8:00 AM - 1:00 PM

1. Research Methodology Introduction
   
   • basic structure of research designs
   • common defects found in the literature
   • internal and external validity issues
   • essential screening questions
   • matching the strongest research design to the clinical question
   
   
   
2. Searching the Literature
   
   • priority-setting criteria
   • search terminology and strategies
   
   


3. Identifying Promising Studies
   
   • judging the relevance of citations & abstracts
   
   


4. Critically Appraising the Evidence (Randomized Clinical Trial, Cohort, Case-Control, Cross-sectional, Time Series, Qualitative, Systematic Review)
   
   • background, advantages and disadvantages, aim, introductory terms, and examples flow charts and best use for each design
   • worksheet with criteria list for assessment of methodological quality
   
   


5. Applying the Evidence: Enhancing Patient Outcomes