EBMplay: Level 1

EBMplay level 1 is a workshop-based course that transforms the theoretical concepts from the EBMtalks lecture-based level 1 course, into practice. Each level has a lecture-based course and a workshop-based course. EBMplay enables practitioners to apply the key concepts and clarify their understanding through practical guided examples. 

Developing confidence translating clinical problems and questions into practical search strategies for finding research is an essential first step that many nutrition students and practitioners can find intimidating and frustrating. Real-world clinical problems and questions will frame each workshop to help demonstrate the search strategies needed. The first workshop will demonstrate via "follow-my-example" screen-sharing activities to help illustrate how to optimise search strategies. 

At each subsequent workshop, this will be re-inforced and the search strategy used to find the specific studies that will provide the focus for critical exploration of the study, will be presented so that learners can try using this search strategy themselves independently to find the same study. 

For 6 of the 8 workshops, the information for search strategy activities will be provided before the workshop. These independent search strategy activities will take only minutes to complete as all instructions and search terms will be provided for you. That way, questions can be asked for clarification at the start of each workshop. 

Thinking critically about research and being able to translate it into practice is the most challenging aspect and this takes a practice. EBMplay workshops simplify and give relevance to this process, making the concepts easier to understand and remember - without the intimidation of having to do it all yourself when you are alone and faced with a clinical problem. These concepts need to be applied in practice in order to be fully appreciated. 

In 6 of 8 workshops we will focus on specific types of studies that will be discussed critically.  Suggested (but not essential) pre-reading of a specific study example will be offered in advance, though full written resources will be provided after the workshop to reinforce learning for future consideration. 

If you enjoyed the EBMtalks but found aspects challenging, you are not alone - there is a learning curve that we all must go through when starting to engage more with research. The EBMplay workshops were designed to help get you over those hurdles and feel ready to apply them to your clinical practice, and prepare for the level 2 courses. 

The 2-hour workshops will include plenty of time for questions and will run weekly. The workshops cannot be purchased individually and participants should have already attended EBMtalks level 1 prior to EBMplay. 16 hours of CPD will be provided and the standard cost for the workshop course is £250. Attendance at all 8 sessions will be required for CPD certification, though if you do miss any sessions, you will be able to catch-up next time the course runs.

The subjects we will cover each week include:

Week 1: Tuesday April 19th 2022, 10am.

Guided search strategy optimisation and demonstration. 

Week 2: Tuesday April 26th 2022, 10am.

Understanding statistics in research: A non-mathematical approach.

Week 3: Tuesday May 3rd 2022, 10am.

Critical appraisal of Cohort studies. 

Week 4: Tuesday May 10th 2022, 10am.

Thinking critically about Case-control studies. 

Week 5: Tuesday May 17th 2022, 10am.

A critical comparison of Cross-sectional and Ecological research.

Week 6: Tuesday May 24th 2022, 10am.

Understanding the strenths and limitations of case-study and case-series research.

Week 7: Tuesday May 31st 2022, 10am.

Differentiating and appraising randomised controlled trials.

Week 8: Tuesday June 7th 2022, 10am.

Making sense of meta-analysis, network-analysis  and systematic review-based research. 

EBMplay workshops will not be recorded, nor available as recordings and are subject to copyright. Sharing any resources without explicit written consent will result in a non-refundable barring of access to remaining and future courses.

The course is purchased as a whole and cannot be purchased as individual sessions.