Inclusion of evidence-based medicine in colleges of osteopathic medicine and suggestions for implementing evidence-based medicine into osteopathic medical school curricula.

The authors investigated the extent to which colleges of osteopathic medicine include evidence-based medicine education in their curricula. Information was obtained through a questionnaire survey, including a Likert scale. The survey was sent to 19 colleges of osteopathic medicine for completion. Twelve responses were received within the time limits of this cross-sectional study, yielding a 63% response rate. Four colleges of osteopathic medicine report that they currently teach evidence-based medicine within their education programs. Variations among the programs included the type of faculty delivering the evidence-based medicine course, the years in which instruction occurs, the number of hours of instruction, and assessment methods used. Seven additional schools have plans to implement evidence-based medicine into their educational programs. Suggestions for the design of an evidence-based medicine course and an evidence-based medicine-based curriculum are discussed in relation to the survey results.