University of Pittsburgh logo

Evidence, Discovery, & Reasoning 1

Evidence, Discovery, & Reasoning 1
September 18, 2024-December 4, 2024

Course Director
Aaron Brown, MD
Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine
brownam3@upmc.edu

Course Description

The skills of reading biomedical literature, interpreting data, and evaluating clinical studies are the focus of this course, integrating themes of clinical expertise and scientific reasoning.  Students learn basic statistical methods and  how clinical trials, medical databases, and translational medicine are foundations of evidence-based medicine and patient-centered care. 

USMLE Step 1 Content Area: Biostatistics, Study design & interpretation, Interpretation and use of evidence-based data and recommendations in clinical decision-making

Course Objectives

 

  1. Formulate and identify an appropriate research question for a research topic including all PICO elements
  2. Describe and identify potential study designs and associated benefits and limitations
  3. Understand statistical testing foundational concepts and criteria for choosing a specific statistical test
  4. Correctly interpret statistical significance from the output of a statistical tests including test statistics, p-values, and confidence intervals
  5. Calculate, report, and interpret study outcomes including odds ratios, relative risk, absolute risk reduction and NNT/H including statistical and clinical significance
  6. Identify bias and confounding in case prompts and studies including sources of bias, types or bias and way to limit both bias and confounding
  7. Correctly interpret of survival data including curves and hazard ratios
  8. Define components of trial execution with specific attention to allocation, blinding, and sampling
  9. Understand types of outcome measures including benefit and drawbacks of each type
  10. Calculate diagnostic test characteristics and apply to clinical decisions in proposed cases
  11. Evaluate and interpret meta-analysis including quality of the analysis and interpretation of Forrest plots
  12. Interpret and calculate cost analysis data including common components such as cost-effectiveness ratio, incremental cost-effectiveness, and utility factors

 

Educational Methods​

  • Small group workshops
  • Self-study
  • Weekly quizzes

Assessment

Assessment for this course is based on a cumulative score of >=70% on the weekly quizzes.

Requests for excused absences should be submitted via Elentra. Unexcused absences may result in grading penalties as outlined in the Policy on Absence and Attendance.