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Teamed to teach patient-based health care


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Workshop leader Dr. Elie Akl explains the core values of EBM practices to SoM faculty, IT and library representatives.


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Akl uses examples of medical research to illustrate the significance of EBM to the field.

May 12, 2009—

The design of effective treatment based on a patient’s unique needs and background requires uniting of resources and expertise, according to evidence-based medicine.

LAU medical faculty, Information Technology officials and library representatives came together April 22 to learn about EBM concepts and their application in medicine and academic settings.

EBM “is an interdisciplinary approach using medicine, technologies and resources altogether in one place,” explained Dr. Kamal Badr, dean of the School of Medicine.

“This is a model for the future practice of medicine at LAU,” Badr added.

Led by Dr. Elie Akl, assistant professor at the Department of Medicine of the State University of New York at Buffalo, attendees learned how EBM requires medical practitioners to focus on patients’ unique needs and background (socio-economic status, ethnicity, age, gender, family medical history).

Faculty members applied EBM methodologies to patient scenarios and discussed the development of an EBM curriculum for future medical students.

According to Akl, developing an EBM curriculum will “enhance the faculty’s own clinical practice and skills,” provide it with more up-to-date medical information, improve its teaching abilities, and help it “search [relevant] literature and apply it to patient care.”

LAU IT experts and electronic information resources specialists will continue to work with the school in the development of an EBM curriculum.

“The IT Department will provide the backbone for IT infrastructure, applications and services to support the School of Medicine,” said Roy Majdalani, assistant vice president for IT and chief information officer.

“This includes network, telecommunications, multimedia, [as well as] academic, medical, and administrative software applications, and IT support services,” Majdalani added.

Library databases will be provided to faculty and students who will have access to the most current medical research and resources supporting EBM practices, and pre-medical and medical curricula.

EBM meets the educational objectives of several international institutions, such as the Association of American Medical Colleges.

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