Evaluation of a CAT Database and Expert Appraisal of CATs Developed by Students

Abstract

Five steps have been recommended to provide evidence-based patient care: formulating a clinical question, searching for literature, evaluating the validity and applicability of results, implementing results into practice, and assessing if the new evidence has led to improved health care. Students can be trained in these steps by the development of knowledge summaries such as critically appraised topics (CATs). The aim of the present project was the development, use, and evaluation of a German-language CAT database and an appraisal of the quality of CATs developed by students. A total of 153 fifth-year veterinary medical students (in 21 groups) were enrolled in the project. Each group developed a CAT and most students participated in a survey. To learn more about the quality of the CATs, we asked experts to appraise the texts written by the students. The CATs were indexed with key words and assigned to specific fields corresponding to the European Colleges of Veterinary Specialisation. Currently, 57 CATs have been developed. The majority of students stated that writing CATs is a good exercise and that “it is important to teach the assessment of scientific information.” In total, 13 experts completed the questionnaires, out of which 9 graded the CAT they appraised as good. In addition to English-language CAT databases, German tools should also be available for students and practitioners.