Condcted workshop on Quality Evidence Generating Research at IPHA Con2016 Dehradun

I conducted first workshop out side Gujarat in IPHACon2016 at Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences, Dehradun Uttarakhand on 3rd March 2016.

Report of Workshop on Effective Proposal Writing for Quality Evidence research

The workshop title “Effective Proposal Writing for Quality Evidence research” was conducted by Dr. Niraj Pandit, Professor Department of Community Medicine & Deputy Director Research Cell, Sumandeep Vidyapeeth in collaboration with PGI Chandigarh Dr. Sonu Goel on 3^rd March 2016. The 60^th National Conference of Indian Public Health Association was organized by IPHA Uttarakhand branch of IAPH at Himalayan Institute of Medical Science, Dehradun.

It was a one full day workshop. The workshop covered topics like hypothesis, defining research question, need of evidence, level of evidence, quality check in available evidence, elements of research protocol, primary secondary data, research method and quality check and research ethics. It was nicely coordinated workshop.

There were total 36 participants. The participants were ranging from students to ICMR scientist and senior professor. Majority graded workshop in excellent category.

The concept note of my workshop is as below -

With revolution in Information Technology, the access to information is on tip of finger to pocket of anybody. Thus the concept of information access and utilization is also changed. It is high time to sensitize out Young Turk and even experience academicians & researchers about best use of available evidence for generating good quality evidence in future. The theme of upcoming 23rd Cochrane Colloquium, Vienna is also on ‘Filtering information overload for better decision’. The visionary Dr. Gordon Guyutt and his guide David Sackett from McMaster University Canada have long vision on the information overload. They started to talk on same two decade before and the word Evidence Based
Medicine (EBM) was first coined.

The definition of EBM is ‘the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients with keeping mind the patient’s value and physician’s experience.”

In definition the one of the component is available best evidence. The evidence meaning here is the research outcome, best research evidence for question raised by physician. Thus each research study is generating evidence pool. The numbers of research conducted are increasing day by day. Also the statutory authority and government is insisting on research. Research is getting core in various institutes. Government is also sparing more money for promotion of research. Ultimate goal of all the research funding and research outcome is the getting best evidence and develop evidence based policy for citizen of country. Our country also wanted to develop evidence based health policy with help of our own database. It was assumption that our health policy is not based on our own database. All over world the people are talking and following evidence based health policy and evidence based health care practice.

Looking to this scenario, the Sumandeep Vidyapeeth took lead to develop education system in Indian context, which helps to learn principles of evidence based medicine and thus ultimately students can develop skills of practicing Evidence Based Health Care Practice (EBHCP). Since last few years university team is working in this direction. The university has designed special course of teaching EBM to all students and teaching system such that all faculties and students can develop themselves in direction of EBHCP. This education system is known as Evidence Based Education System. One of the components of this EBES is the Quality Evidence Generating Research (QEGR). I am working specially in this area.

The objectives of QEGR are –

1.      To sensitize about the evidence and research outcome

2.      To get understanding of evidence pyramid and research design

3.      To understand the quality check for available evidence

4.      To learn how to improve the quality of new evidence generation

5.      To learn about concept of primary and secondary data

6.      To learn about various study designs and quality check for that design

Scope of QEGR –

1.      Epidemiology and research are the area of Community medicine, so they can take lead in the quality evidence generation with all other department in medical college for quality research

2.      Evaluation of available evidence is also key area for preventing wastage of resources use. Community Physician can help to optimum utilization of such fund.

3.      In era of plagiarism and IPR, this will help to build research evidence fitting in evidence pyramid.

Broad outline of workshop –

·         Concept of Evidence Based medicine and Evidence of Health Care Practice (EBHCP)

·         History horizon of EBHCP

·         Best evidence and Evidence pyramid (level of evidence)

·         How to check quality of evidence?

·         Why do the quality of study important?

·         How to increase quality of study?

·         Primary data and Secondary data

·         Various study design and quality check

·         Critical appraisal of various scientific article (evidence based journal club)

Who can participate in workshop?

·         It is really golden opportunity for young researchers particularly post
graduate, DM fellow, young teacher or researcher

·         Even mid-career researchers can join

·         Editor of journal, editor board members and publisher can also join

·         Senior academician, researcher and policy maker can join