Evaluating search quality and article choice in evidence-based medicine assignments of preclinical students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2025.2213Keywords:
Evidence Based Medicine, Curriculum, Medical Students, Assessment, LibrariansAbstract
Background: This case report describes the integration of a capstone Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) assignment into a first-year medical student curriculum and presents an analysis of the correlation between search strategy quality and article selection quality within that assignment.
Case Presentation: A whole-task EBM assignment, requiring students to address a clinical scenario by completing all EBM steps, was implemented after a curriculum-integrated EBM course. Student performance on their search strategy and article selection was assessed using a rubric (1-4 scale). Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between these two variables. Eighty-two students completed the assignment. Fifty-nine percent received a score of 3 for their search strategy, while 77% received a score of 4 for article selection. Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient was 0.19 (p-value = 0.086).
Conclusions: While a weak, non-statistically significant correlation was observed between search quality and article selection, the analysis revealed patterns that may inform future instructional design. Educators should consider emphasizing the importance of selecting up-to-date and high-quality evidence and addressing common search errors. Further research, incorporating direct observation and baseline assessments, is needed to draw more definitive conclusions.
References
The Liaison Committee on Medical Education. Standards for the Accreditation of Medical Education Programs Leading to the M.D. Degree [internet]. [cited 18 Jun 2025]. https://lcme.org/publications/
The United States Medical Licensing Examination. USMLE Content Outline [internet]. [cited 18 Jun 2025]. https://www.usmle.org/sites/default/files/2022-01/USMLE_Content_Outline_0.pdf
Obeso V, Brown D, Aiyer M, Barron B, Bull J, Carter T, Emery M, Gillespie C, Hormann M, Hyderi A. Core entrustable professional activities for entering residency: toolkits for the 13 core EPAs. Washington, DC: Association of American Medical Colleges. 2017.
Putnam J, Faltermeier D, Riggs CJ, Pulcher K, Kitts R. Conquering evidence-based practice using an embedded librarian and online search tool. Journal of Nursing Education. 2011;50(1):60-60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20101220-03
Phelps SF, Hyde L, Wolf JP. Introducing information literacy competency standards for nursing. Nurse Educator. 2015;40(6):278-280. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/nne.0000000000000170
Menard L, Blevins AE, Trujillo DJ, Lazarus KH. Integrating evidence-based medicine skills into a medical school curriculum: a quantitative outcomes assessment. BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine. 2021;26(5):249-250. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjebm-2020-111391
Magro J, Plovnick C, Laynor G, Nicholson J. From Questions to Answers: Teaching Evidence-Based Medicine Question Formulation and Literature Searching Skills to First-Year Medical Students. MedEdPORTAL. 2025;21:11496. DOI: https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11496
Muellenbach JM, Houk KM, E. Thimons D, Rodriguez B. Integrating information literacy and evidence-based medicine content within a new school of medicine curriculum: process and outcome. Medical Reference Services Quarterly. 2018;37(2):198-206. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2018.1439225
Maggio LA, Durieux N, Tannery NH. Librarians in Evidence-Based Medicine Curricula: A Qualitative Study of Librarian Roles, Training, and Desires for Future Development. Medical Reference Services Quarterly. 2015;34(4):428-40. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02763869.2015.1082375
Eldredge J, Schiff MA, Langsjoen JO, Jerabek RN. Question formulation skills training using a novel rubric with first-year medical students. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA. 2021;109(1):68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2021.935
Eldredge JD, Bear DG, Wayne SJ, Perea PP. Student peer assessment in evidence-based medicine (EBM) searching skills training: an experiment. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA. 2013;101(4):244. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.101.4.003
Eldredge JD, Schiff MA, Langsjoen JO. Effectiveness of a question formulation rubric with second-year medical students: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA. 2023;111(1-2):591. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5195/jmla.2023.1529
Gagliardi JP, Stinnett SS, Schardt C. Innovation in evidence-based medicine education and assessment: an interactive class for third-and fourth-year medical students. Journal of the Medical Library Association: JMLA. 2012;100(4):306. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.100.4.014
Albarqouni L, Hoffmann T, Glasziou P. Evidence-based practice educational intervention studies: a systematic review of what is taught and how it is measured. BMC Med Educ. 2018 Aug 1;18(1):177. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-018-1284-1
Maggio LA, Capdarest-Arest N. Practising evidence-based medicine (EBM): a descriptive analysis of medical students' whole-task EBM assignments. Evid Based Med. 2017 Apr;22(2):41-44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1136/ebmed-2016-110593
Maggio LA, Kung JY. How are medical students trained to locate biomedical information to practice evidence-based medicine? A review of the 2007-2012 literature. J Med Libr Assoc. 2014 Jul;102(3):184-91. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3163/1536-5050.102.3.008
D2L Corporation. Brightspace: So Much More Than a Learning Management System [internet]. [cited 7 Jan 2025]. https://www.d2l.com/brightspace/
Schober P, Boer C, Schwarte LA. Correlation Coefficients: Appropriate Use and Interpretation. Anesth Analg. 2018 May;126(5):1763-1768. DOI:10.1213/ane.0000000000002864.
Gobbi G, Atkin T, Zytynski T, Wang S, Askari S, Boruff J, Ware M, Marmorstein N, Cipriani A, Dendukuri N, Mayo N. Association of Cannabis Use in Adolescence and Risk of Depression, Anxiety, and Suicidality in Young Adulthood: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. 2019 Apr 1;76(4):426-434. DOI:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2018.4500.
Fresán A, Dionisio-García DM, González-Castro TB, Ramos-Méndez M, Castillo-Avila RG, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Juárez-Rojop IE, López-Narváez ML, Genis-Mendoza AD, Nicolini H. Cannabis smoking increases the risk of suicide ideation and suicide attempt in young individuals of 11-21 years: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatr Res. 2022;153:90-98. DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.06.053.
Flores MW, Granados S, Cook BL. US trends in the association of suicide ideation/behaviors with marijuana use among adolescents ages 12-17 and differences by gender and race/ethnicity. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:1057784. DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1057784.
Kahn GD, Wilcox HC. Marijuana Use Is Associated With Suicidal Ideation and Behavior Among US Adolescents at Rates Similar to Tobacco and Alcohol. Arch Suicide Res. 2022 Apr-Jun;26(2):520-533. DOI:10.1080/13811118.2020.1804025.
Zhang X, Wu LT. Suicidal ideation and substance use among adolescents and young adults: a bidirectional relation? Drug Alcohol Depend. 2014 Sep 1;142:63-73. DOI:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.05.025.
Lydiard JB, Patel H, Strugatsky Y, Thompson WK, Pelham WE, 3rd, Brown SA. Prospective associations between cannabis use and depressive symptoms across adolescence and early adulthood. Psychiatry Res. 2023 Jul;325:115190. DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115190.
Athanassiou M, Dumais A, Zouaoui I, Potvin S. The clouded debate: A systematic review of comparative longitudinal studies examining the impact of recreational cannabis legalization on key public health outcomes. Front Psychiatry. 2022;13:1060656. DOI:10.3389/fpsyt.2022.1060656.
Carvalho JV, Souza LS, Moreira EC. Association between cannabis use and suicidal behavior: A systematic review of cohort studies. Psychiatry Res. 2022 Jun;312:114555. DOI:10.1016/j.psychres.2022.114555.
Basith SA, Nakaska MM, Sejdiu A, Shakya A, Namdev V, Gupta S, Mathialagan K, Makani R. Substance Use Disorders (SUD) and Suicidal Behaviors in Adolescents: Insights From Cross-Sectional Inpatient Study. Cureus. 2021 Jun;13(6):e15602. DOI:10.7759/cureus.15602.
Bolanis D, Orri M, Castellanos-Ryan N, Renaud J, Montreuil T, Boivin M, Vitaro F, Tremblay RE, Turecki G, Côté SM, Séguin JR, Geoffroy MC. Cannabis use, depression and suicidal ideation in adolescence: direction of associations in a population based cohort. J Affect Disord. 2020 Sep 1;274:1076-1083. DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.136.
Sellers CM, McRoy RG, O'Brien KHM. Substance use and suicidal ideation among child welfare involved adolescents: A longitudinal examination. Addict Behav. 2019 Jun;93:39-45. DOI:10.1016/j.addbeh.2019.01.021.
Bahorik AL, Sterling SA, Campbell CI, Weisner C, Ramo D, Satre DD. Medical and non-medical marijuana use in depression: Longitudinal associations with suicidal ideation, everyday functioning, and psychiatry service utilization. J Affect Disord. 2018 Dec 1;241:8-14. DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2018.05.065.
Gilder DA, Ehlers CL. Depression symptoms associated with cannabis dependence in an adolescent American Indian community sample. Am J Addict. 2012 Nov-Dec;21(6):536-43. DOI:10.1111/j.1521-0391.2012.00281.x.
Adverse effects of cannabis. Prescrire Int. 2011 Jan;20(112):18-23.
Pedersen W. Does cannabis use lead to depression and suicidal behaviours? A population-based longitudinal study. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2008 Nov;118(5):395-403. DOI:10.1111/j.1600-0447.2008.01259.x.
Resnick MD, Bearman PS, Blum RW, Bauman KE, Harris KM, Jones J, Tabor J, Beuhring T, Sieving RE, Shew M, Ireland M, Bearinger LH, Udry JR. Protecting adolescents from harm. Findings from the National Longitudinal Study on Adolescent Health. JAMA. 1997 Sep 10;278(10):823-32. DOI:10.1001/jama.278.10.823.
Additional Files
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Juliana Magro, Caitlin Plovnick, Joey Nicholson
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
