Table 1 Innovative Teaching Workshop Content

Day 1

(30 minutes)

Introduction to the workshop and review of the objectives and contents

(30 minutes)

Formulating an answerable clinical question as the basis for a successful search strategy

(30 minutes)

The hierarchy of evidence and the place of RCTs, cohort and case-control studies in decision-making

(Presented by a participant)

(2 hours)

Participants presented answerable clinical questions with the PICO format for 20 given scenarios to build a search strategy. The presentations were used to enhance communication skills though critique and comments from the other participants and the facilitator.

Participants were introduced to search methods for the Cochrane Library, Medline and other sources of appraised evidence.

Day 2

(1 hour)

Knowledge translation is the bridge between evidence-based medicine and evidence-based healthcare.

Introduction to the knowledge-to-action framework (Review of the KT project)

(1 hour)

Critical appraisal of RCTs, cohort studies and case-control studies for intervention. Assessment of internal and external validity. Calculation and interpretation of RRR, OR, NNT and NNH

(45 minutes)

Critical appraisal of diagnostic and prognostic studies and systematic reviews.

(Presented by a participant)

(30 minutes)

Break-out into groups to debate and review the debate statements

(1 hour)

Practical session (PICO format) of life scenarios from the participants' clinical practice and hands-on literature search for trials and studies that addressed the PICO question formulated by the participants

(1 hour)

Small group sessions on critical appraisal of different types of trials and studies including the use of an online calculator to calculate NNT, OR and other measures.

Day 3

(1 hour)

The knowledge-practice gap and the effect of national organizations in reducing the gap (e.g. National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)

(1 hour)

Barriers to and facilitators of knowledge translation

(2 hours)

First presentation of the knowledge translation project by participants

Day 4

(2 hours)

Debates on the first statement by participants

(2 hours)

Second presentation of the knowledge translation project by participants

Day 5

(2 hours)

Debates on the second statement by participants

(30 minutes)

Feedback and post-workshop evaluation

(30 minutes)

Closing remarks