Postgraduate Course: Introduction to Clinical Evidence (MRES11001)
Course Outline
| School | Deanery of Clinical Sciences |
College | College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 11 (Postgraduate) |
| Course type | Online Distance Learning |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | A foundation course to develop the skills required to ask SMART clinical questions, acquire evidence, critically appraise evidence, and translate evidence into clinical practice. There will also be teaching resources to develop students¿ library skills and scientific and academic literacy which will be further developed with teaching and resources in years 2 and 3. |
| Course description |
The aim of this module is to introduce you to tools and approaches to develop skills in:
Asking focused clinical questions based on identification of a need for change and improvement.
Efficiently and effectively interrogating the literature.
Critical appraisal of papers using a methodical and systematic approach leading to the creation of recommendations for clinical practice based on assessment of the strength of the evidence available.
Translation of evidence into practice with a demonstration of insight into barriers to implementation.
Assessment of impacts on patients, cost effectiveness etc.
Scientific and academic writing.
An associated aim of the course is to develop students¿ skills and insight as critically reflective practitioners. This will be done through feedback on reflective diaries. Students are encouraged to post regularly (at least weekly) to these diaries using tools from the Edinburgh reflectors workshop and to review them retrospectively to gain insight into their own progression in the course.
These are all foundation skills that students will develop as they progress through your postgraduate journey over the next three years.
There are teaching resources developed with the Edinburgh University Library and the Academic Language and literacy team which are developed in a spiral curriculum throughout the three years of the programme.
|
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
|
Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
|
| Academic year 2025/26, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
|
Quota: None |
| Course Start |
MVM Online Learning Block 1 |
| Course Start Date |
15/09/2025 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
100
(
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
98 )
|
| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
|
| Additional Information (Assessment) |
17 hours for writing of the critical appraisal project and creation of the presentation.
Assessment components for ICE:
85% for submission of the critical appraisal project
5% for participation and engagement in the discussion boards
5% for engagement and participation in the wiki project
5% for demonstration of your development as a critically reflective practitioner with regular posts in the reflective diary / journal
The critical appraisal project involves writing a 3,000-word literature review supported by a ten minute voiced powerpoint presentation on the students¿ own clinical practice where a need for change or improvement has been identified. |
| Feedback |
Continuous feedback on discussion boards and reflective diaries
Annotated script with written feedback / feed-forward on critical appraisal projects
Live session at the start of semester two where students present PowerPoints |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Identify a need for change or improvement - a clinical problem. Create a SMART, focused clinical question.
- Use this research question to inform an efficient and effective search of published evidence.
- Carry out critical appraisal of evidence and assess risk of bias to inform a synthesis. Use this synthesis to make a conclusion/clinical recommendation for future research.
- Cite and create a reference list to a standard suitable for masters' level study.
- Dissemination of your findings: a summary of the project will be presented as a voiced/narrated PowerPoint which would be suitable for presentation at a clinical discussion group or academic conference to summarise and share your findings.
|
Reading List
| The reading list is available through the University of Edinburgh online resource list system so that students are able to link directly to essential items and be signposted to further reading. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Research and enquiry:-
Analytical thinking
Critical thinking
Knowledge integration and application
Independent research
Handling complexity and ambiguity
Digital literacy
Numeracy
Personal and intellectual autonomy:-
Self-awareness and reflection
Independent learning and development
Personal effectiveness:-
Planning, organisation and time management
Communication:-
Verbal communication and presentation
Written communication |
| Additional Class Delivery Information |
Learning methods:
recommended reading
discussion boards
Reflective diaries
live sessions
collaboration in a "wiki" project
tutor-guided self-directed learning resources
Live, synchronous video-link sessions = 3 hours
Library skills
Scientific and academic language and literacy
The nature of clinical evidence
Independent learning = 80 hours organised over 5 weeks (includes discussion boards and reflective diaries):
Why do we do what we do? Limitations of an evidence - informed approach and barriers to translation of evidence into clinical practice
Asking the right questions
Acquiring evidence: library skills
Statistical methods
Critical appraisal and knowledge mobilisation |
| Keywords | IT skills,Evidence based dentistry,Virtual learning environment |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Guy Jackson
Tel:
Email: gjackso3@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Jennifer Allison
Tel: (0131) 536 3975
Email: Jen.Allison@ed.ac.uk |
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