197057 A brief assessment of evidence-based practice knowledge: Comparison of chiropractic student cohorts

Monday, November 9, 2009: 8:42 AM

Mitchell Haas, DC , Center for Outcomes Studies, Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, OR
Joe Istvan, PhD , Oregon Research Institute, Eugene, OR
David Peterson, DC , Center for Outcomes Studies, Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, OR
Ron Lefebvre, DC , Center for Outcomes Studies, Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, OR
Rich Gillette, PhD , Center for Outcomes Studies, Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, OR
Darcy Vavrek, ND, MS , Center for Outcomes Studies, Western States Chiropractic College, Portland, OR
Purpose: As part of the evaluation process for an R25 grant, we developed instruments to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and perceived skills associated with a new evidence-based practice (EBP) curriculum instituted at Western States Chiropractic College. We report the development of the knowledge-assessment instrument and a comparison of EBP knowledge for two cohorts of third-year students, enrolled in the new EBP and old chiropractic curricula.

Methods: We developed a 20-item knowledge assessment from 115 multiple-choice items we wrote to test ten specific content areas. Students are tested at the end of their third year and upon completion of their clinic experience. The first cohort of old-curriculum students served as the comparison group for successive new-curriculum cohort performance. In addition, all students completed measures of attitudes toward EBP, self-appraised EBP skills, and reported time engaged in EBP-related activities.

Results: To date, we have analyzed third-year survey data from two successive cohorts: 86 students exposed to the old curriculum and 24 new (EBP) curriculum students. Compared to old curriculum students, new curriculum students displayed enhanced EBP knowledge (Means 8.94 vs. 10.17, p < .02), had more positive attitudes toward EBP (p< .05) but did not rate their skills more favorably(p > .05). We remain in an active data accrual phase.Analysis of the full cohorts at both data-collection points will be reported.

Conclusions: An EBP curriculum can influence chiropractic student knowledge of and attitudes towards EBP to some degree.

Funded by NCCAM/NIH (R25AT002880)

Learning Objectives:
Identify methods of instrument development. Summarize the effects of an evidence-based curriculum of student knowledge.

Keywords: Chiropractic, Evidence Based Practice

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Grant PI and chiropractic researcher
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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