Accreditation Course in Evidence-Based Medicine: Part II. Assessing Studies of Diagnostic Tests and Strategies

Why take EBM II?

• Discuss what is required of a diagnostic test to trust that it will be useful in determining the best care for your patients;
• Explain how the statistics reported in studies and how they can be used and misused to influence your decision making in selecting diagnostic tools to use in your practice;
• Identify the flaws that plague studies and learn to separate fact from fiction; and,
• For IPSIS volunteers, successful completion of the online course, small group activity, and accreditation exam will satisfy the EBM II training requirement.

This online course consists of didactic videos highlighting key concepts and statistical tools required for critiquing evidence regarding diagnostic tests and strategies. Each module is followed by a test to assess participants’ understanding of concepts presented. It is accompanied by a small group online discussion led by experienced EBM faculty.  Participants who successfully complete the modules and tests and the small group activity will earn up to 7.5 hours of CME.

Those participants who are also interested in obtaining IPSIS EBM accreditation are required to complete an accreditation examination at the completion of the course covering principles, the calculation of statistics, and the critical appraisal of studies of diagnostic tests and strategies. Participants who successfully demonstrate competence on the examination will obtain International Pain & Spine Intervention Society EBM accreditation in the appraisal of evidence in studies of diagnostic tests and strategies.

This course is free for IPSIS members. Register today and improve your ability to critically assess research and its appropriate impact on your practice. 

© 2018 International Pain & Spine Intervention Society – All Rights Reserved
Materials presented in this activity have been made available by the International Pain & Spine Intervention Society for educational purposes only. We reserve all rights to such material.

Learning Goals
To enhance patient care by providing participants with skills necessary to critically assess studies of diagnostic tests and strategies and implement an evidence-based approach to clinical decision-making.

Educational Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

• Describe the need for reliability and validity of diagnostic tests and strategies, and their importance in medical practice;
• Calculate basic statistics and identify how statistics are used and misused in studies of diagnostic tests and strategies;
• Identify the features of good studies of reliability and validity and the flaws of poor studies;
• Report the kappa scores and likelihood ratios for tests relevant to spine medicine; and
• Critically appraise studies of diagnostic tests and strategies, identifying methodological limitations and their influence on study conclusions.

Disclosure Information
Activity Reviewers: Stephen Johnson, MD; Byron J. Schneider, MD; Clark C. Smith, MD, MPH
None of the reviewers had any financial relationships with ACCME-defined ineligible companies to disclose.

Accreditation Statement
The International Pain & Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation Statement
IPSIS designates this enduring material for a maximum of 3.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Commercial Support
No commercial support was received for this activity.

Original Release Date: 05/15/2018 
Original Author and Planner: Nikolai Bogduk, MD, PhD
Nothing to disclose

Renewal Date: 05/12/2021
Expiration Date: 05/11/2024