Paper Title
BENEFITS OF AN INTENSIVE EVIDENCE-BASED MEDICINE COURSE FOR FAMILY MEDICINE RESIDENTS

Abstract
Background: EBM is the systematic process of finding, appraising, and applying results from well-designed and conducted clinical research in order to optimize and apply clinical decisions.This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of an intensive course in Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) carried out in a group of family medicine residents. Methods: A Quasi-Experimental study was carried out on a group of 45 Family Medicine residents at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, during October and November 2023. The primary measure of interest was the change in evidence-based medicine (EBM) knowledge and skills, assessed using the Fresno test (score range of 0-212). Results: This study included 45 residents aged 25–35 with a mean age of 26.82 years (SD = 1.5). The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) for Dr. Abeer and Dr. Bagasi's overall score in pre-test and post-test courses is 0.981 and 0.976, respectively.R1 and R2 residents made statistically significant improvements in all domains. Residents in R1 exhibited significant improvements in EBM confidence (p = 0.002) and overall knowledge and abilities (p < 0.001). R2 residents showed significant improvements in clinical question formulation (p = 0.021), evidence search (p = 0.020), and critical evaluation (p < 0.001).According to the self-assessment questionnaire, age and gender affect EBM competency improvement after the course.Age ≤ 26 and above 27 years old showed significant improvements in overall knowledge and skills (p < 0.001). Female residents improved significantly in all domains, with critical evaluation (p < 0.001) and overall knowledge and skills (p < 0.001) emerging as notable. Male residents improved significantly in all dimensions, with critical appraisal (p < 0.001) and EBM confidence (p < 0.001) being of particular significance. Conclusions: The self-assessment findings highlight the course's effectiveness in improving evidence-based medicine (EBM) skills among residents of all levels, age groups, and genders. Customized strategies could be advantageous in order to optimize the effectiveness of evidence-based medicine (EBM) training for specific populations. Keywords - Evidence Based Medicine, Benefits, Family Medicine, Knowledge and Skills