ERAS AfricaLearning
Course catalogue · Clinical reasoning

Evidence Based Medicine and Clinical Decision Making

Ask, find, judge and apply the evidence, then decide well with the patient in front of you

Online, self paced2.4 hours5 modules · 20 lessons3.5 CEUNarratedCertificate
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What you will learn

  • Define evidence based medicine and its three components.
  • Explain why evidence based practice matters in a resource limited health system.
  • Build a clinical question using PICO(T).
  • Match each question type to the study design that best answers it.
  • Choose the right source for a question and setting.
  • Build a search from PICO using Boolean operators and MeSH terms.
  • Apply the validity, results and applicability framework to a study.
  • Appraise a randomised trial for randomisation, concealment, blinding, follow up and intention to treat analysis.
  • Describe how clinicians reason and where cognitive biases enter.
  • Apply evidence to an individual patient in a resource limited setting.

Syllabus

5 modules, each with a knowledge check
🔎1. Foundations of evidence based practiceBest evidence, clinical judgement and the patient's values, together.4 lessons · 27 min
  1. 1.1 What evidence based medicine is7 min
  2. 1.2 Why it matters in Ethiopia7 min
  3. 1.3 The five steps7 min
  4. 1.4 Background and foreground questions6 min

Objectives. Define evidence based medicine and its three components. Explain why evidence based practice matters in a resource limited health system. List the five steps of evidence based practice in order. Distinguish background from foreground questions.

❓2. Asking answerable questionsA precise question finds its own answer.4 lessons · 27 min
  1. 2.1 PICO7 min
  2. 2.2 Question type and study design7 min
  3. 2.3 The hierarchy of evidence7 min
  4. 2.4 Where to look first6 min

Objectives. Build a clinical question using PICO(T). Match each question type to the study design that best answers it. Describe the hierarchy of evidence and its limits. Use the 6S pyramid to decide where to look first.

🧭3. Finding the evidenceA good search takes ten minutes. A bad one takes an afternoon and finds nothing.4 lessons · 27 min
  1. 3.1 Sources6 min
  2. 3.2 Building the search8 min
  3. 3.3 Searching on a phone with little data6 min
  4. 3.4 Search practice7 min

Objectives. Choose the right source for a question and setting. Build a search from PICO using Boolean operators and MeSH terms. Apply filters for design, date and language. Search effectively on a phone with limited bandwidth.

⚖️4. Appraising the evidenceIs it valid? What did it find? Does it apply to my patient?4 lessons · 32 min
  1. 4.1 Validity, results, applicability7 min
  2. 4.2 Appraising a randomised trial9 min
  3. 4.3 Reviews, guidelines and GRADE8 min
  4. 4.4 Appraising a diagnostic test8 min

Objectives. Apply the validity, results and applicability framework to a study. Appraise a randomised trial for randomisation, concealment, blinding, follow up and intention to treat analysis. Interpret relative risk, absolute risk reduction, number needed to treat and confidence intervals. Appraise a systematic review and a guideline, including GRADE. Interpret sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios for a diagnostic test.

🤝5. Deciding with the patientEvidence tells you what happens on average. The decision is about this person.4 lessons · 31 min
  1. 5.1 How clinicians think8 min
  2. 5.2 Applying evidence to this patient7 min
  3. 5.3 Sharing the decision8 min
  4. 5.4 Assess, and make it routine8 min

Objectives. Describe how clinicians reason and where cognitive biases enter. Apply evidence to an individual patient in a resource limited setting. Share a decision with a patient using plain language and natural frequencies. Assess your own evidence based practice and build it into routine.

Pre-test 15 items before Module 1, not graded  ·  Post-test 30 items, pass mark 80%  ·  Capstone a written plan you export and keep

How it is taught

Narrated micro lessons

Every screen has recorded narration that adds context and examples from Ethiopian hospitals. Lessons are five to ten minutes and resume where you stopped, on any device.

Decisions, not slides

Branching scenarios, matching, ordering and short written tasks with immediate feedback and the reasoning, whichever way you answer.

Blended option

Five ninety minute workshops with live searching and appraisal of a paper.

Tools for Monday

Printable ward cards, checklists and audit forms are linked from the modules and free to adapt.

Frequently asked

How long do I have?

There is no deadline. Most learners finish in one to three weeks of short sessions. Your progress is saved to your account.

Is there a cost?

No. Enrolment, the course, the certificate and the resources are free.

What if I fail the post-test?

You can retake it. The feedback after each item tells you which module to revisit.

Is the certificate recognised for licence renewal?

The certificate states the CEU value calculated at one CEU per hour of learning in line with the national CPD Guideline, with a verification number. Recognition for licence renewal depends on accreditation by the CPD accreditor, which ERAS Africa and the EAA are pursuing.

Can my hospital run it as a workshop?

Yes. Each module has a facilitated 90 minute session plan. Contact ERAS Africa through the website to arrange a cohort.