Challenges in Systematic Reviews of Educational Intervention Studies

21 June 2005 | Volume 142 Issue 12 Part 2 | Pages 1080-1089

Educators have recognized the need to apply evidence-based approaches to medical training. To do so, medical educators must have access to reliable evidence on the impact of educational interventions. This paper describes 5 methodologic challenges to performing systematic reviews of educational interventions for health care professionals: finding reports of medical education interventions, assessing quality of st udy designs, assessing the scope of interventions, assessing the evaluation of interventions, and synthesizing the results of educational interventions. We offer suggestions for addressing these challenges and make recommendations for reporting, reviewing, and appraising interventions in medical education.

Author and Article Information

From Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.

Disclaimer: The authors are responsible for the contents of this article, including any clinical or treatment recommendations. No statement in this article should be construed as an official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality or of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Wright received support as an Arnold P. Gold Foundation Associate Professor of Medicine.

Grant Support: This article was prepared by the Johns Hopkins University Evidence-based Practice Center under contract to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (contract no. 290-02-0018), Rockville, Maryland.

Potential Financial Conflicts of Interest: Authors of this paper have received funding for Evidence-based Practice Center reports.

Requests for Single Reprints: Darcy Reed, MD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905; e-mail, reed.darcy{at}mayo.edu.

Current Author Addresses: Dr. Reed: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.

Drs. Price, Windish, and Bass: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 East Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21287.

Drs. Wright and Kern: Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, 4940 Eastern Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21224.

Drs. Gozu and Beach: Johns Hopkins University, 2024 East Monument Street, Welch Center, Suite 2-500, Baltimore, MD 21287.

Dr. Hsu: Johns Hopkins University, 201 North Charles Street, Suite 1400, Baltimore, MD 21224.