Abstract
BACKGROUND: The ability of healthcare providers to access and use published research correctly is crucial for the quality of healthcare services, enabling selection of the most effective treatment modalities, and avoidance of medical errors. Physicians need strong critical appraisal (CA) skills to manage rapidly evolving medical knowledge. METHODS: A standard peer-teaching module was prepared for medical residents on CA. The module included topic-specific educational materials, discussion articles, and question sets and was pilot-tested among medical residents, allowing for revisions based on participants' feedback. Training module was prepared by a senior epidemiologist and a community medicine (public health) resident, based on the context of a similar graduate course; the resident underwent four months of personal training preceding the pilot testing, which was conducted as a 12-week program in September-November 2023, supervised by experts. Online training extended our reach to resident working nationwide. Recruitment was enabled via social media and various medical specialty organizations. Evaluations included initial, session-specific, and final tests for measuring progress in knowledge on CA, based on participants' self-assessments, and external auditors' scoring of the process. RESULTS: A total of 52 residents from 19 universities and nine specialty programs participated in pilot testing. Of these, 48 completed the program through the post-test, with 83% (n = 40) scoring above 65%, received a certificate of achievement. Median scores showed a 32% increase in knowledge, a 75% increase in confidence in CA skills, and a 50% decrease in stress-related to CA practice. Additionally, 82.5% (n = 33) of those who completed the module expressed interest in offering similar training sessions to their local peers. CONCLUSION: The online peer teaching of the CA module successfully increased participants' knowledge and self-confidence in critical appraisal. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.