Available Until 10/5/2026
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CAIFL: Critical Appraisal Institute for Librarians*

For more information, please contact Marie Ascher at marie_ascher@nymc.edu.

Craving more confidence in leading EBM sessions for medical students? Puzzled about how to guide students in study design and in depth critical appraisal? Frustrated with statistics?

Join us to become a trailblazer of EBM at your institution.

This six week online program will consist of: assessment; self-directed learning through video, readings, and problem sets; small group facilitated exercises; and plenary talks by physician and librarian experts in evidence based practice and critical appraisal.

Resource URL: https://guides.library.nymc.edu/CAIFL

Goal and Learning Objectives

Goal: To develop librarians' critical appraisal skills via enhanced understanding of research design, biomedical statistics, and clinical reasoning to apply knowledge in teaching target populations.

Objectives: At the end of the institute participants will be able to:

  1. Describe and analyze study methodologies used in clinical research.
  2. Define and critique biostatistical concepts used to report the results of clinical research studies.
  3. Critically appraise biomedical articles including an understanding of the methodology, sources of bias, and the results.
  4. Teach critical appraisal with confidence.

Agenda

Early January: Pre-Test and analysis.

Plenary Session

  • Large group: Introductions. Overview lecture (Dr. Shaneyfelt). 
  • Small group work.

During each of the modules listed below, participants are to meet in their small groups which are assigned at the start of the course. 

*If you cannot make any particular session, make arrangements with your facilitator in advance. You can attend another small group that week unless you are scheduled to peer teach for that week. In order to receive MLA CE credit, you must attend all small group sessions.

Module 1: Clinical Study Designs: Basics and Biases. Self-study preparation: Videos, readings, problem sets. 4.5 hours

Synchronous session: Small group work. 1.5 hours

Module 2: Foundational Stats: Descriptive & Inferential Statistics. Self-study preparation: Videos, readings, problem sets. 4.5 hours

Synchronous session: Small group work 1.5 hours

Module 3: Common Measures of Association in Biomedical Studies I. Self-study preparation: Videos, readings, problem sets. 4.5 hours

Synchronous session: Small group work. 1.5 hours

Module 4: Common Measures of Association in Biomedical Studies II: Therapy and Harm. Self-study preparation: Videos, readings, problem sets. 4.5 hours

Synchronous session:Small group work. 1.5 hours

Module 5: Common Measures of Association in Biomedical Studies III: Diagnosis and Prognosis; How to Prepare a Journal Club Presentation. Self-study preparation: Videos, readings, problem sets. 4.5 hours

Synchronous session:Small group work 1.5 hours

Plenary Wrap-Up: 5. 2 hours

Lecture on Clinical Application of EBM

Librarian Panel(bringing it home, successful programs, how to integrate knowledge from this course into teaching)

Break out groups.

Module 6: Journal Clubs, 4.5 hours. Synchronous session:Small group work 1.5 hours

Post-Test

MLA CE Credits: 40