AIMS AND CONTENT

AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of the course, students will be able to:

1. Knowledge and understanding: Describe the principles of Evidence-Based Practice, the main research designs, and the concepts of validity, reliability, bias and confounding. Understand the principles of research methodology, measurement instruments and research ethics.

2. Applying knowledge and understanding: Formulate clinical questions using the PICO framework and develop literature search strategies. Search biomedical databases, interpret research findings and apply critical appraisal tools. Identify appropriate measurement instruments and understand the main principles of their validation and cross-cultural adaptation.

3. Making judgements: Critically assess the methodological quality, clinical relevance and applicability of scientific evidence to midwifery practice, distinguishing statistical significance from clinical relevance.

4. Communication skills: Present and critically discuss scientific articles, using appropriate terminology and supporting conclusions with relevant evidence.

5. Learning skills: Use scientific literature and biomedical databases independently to update professional knowledge and support the development of research projects and final degree dissertations.

TEACHING METHODS

The course includes lectures, individual exercises and group work. Practical activities will focus on formulating PICO questions, conducting literature searches, selecting relevant scientific articles and critically appraising research findings. Students will work in groups to analyse and present a scientific article addressing a clinical question in midwifery, discussing its methodology, findings and applicability to clinical practice. Teaching materials will be made available through the University’s online learning platform.

SYLLABUS/CONTENT

The course covers the following topics: Evidence-Based Practice and its application to midwifery; formulation of clinical questions using the PICO framework; literature searching, biomedical databases, keywords, MeSH terms and Boolean operators; experimental, observational and qualitative study designs; systematic reviews and meta-analyses; critical appraisal of scientific articles, validity, bias and confounding; interpretation of research findings, including relative risk, odds ratio, confidence intervals and p-values; research and measurement instruments, questionnaires, validity, reliability, validation, translation and cross-cultural adaptation; research design, study populations, variables and outcomes; research ethics, informed consent, data protection and the role of Research Ethics Committees; clinical guidelines and the application of evidence to midwifery practice; development of research questions and preliminary research protocols, including projects related to final degree dissertations.

TEACHERS AND EXAM BOARD

LESSONS

Class schedule

The timetable for this course is available here: Portale EasyAcademy

EXAMS

EXAM DESCRIPTION

The examination consists of a written test assessing knowledge of Evidence-Based Practice, research methodology and study designs, together with practical questions on PICO formulation, literature searching, interpretation of research findings and critical appraisal of scientific articles.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

The assessment will evaluate students’ knowledge of Evidence-Based Practice and research methodology, their ability to formulate clinical questions, search and interpret scientific literature, recognise methodological limitations, and critically assess the relevance and applicability of evidence to midwifery practice. Appropriate scientific terminology and the ability to support conclusions with evidence will also be assessed.