The SmaccDUB conference is upon us. The worlds of social media, critical care, prehospital care and emergency medicine are descending on the emerald isle’s capital for four days of intensive learning and networking. This is the fourth Smacc conference and the first in Europe. The conference sold out months in advance, limited to just 2000 lucky delegates from across the globe. There’s really nothing quite like it, and although at it’s core it’s still a conference, the style, the enthusiasm and the innovation are intense. In short, it’s fantastic to be here and super to be able to contribute
The workshops start tomorrow and as with past conferences they reflect the broad interests of the Smacc community, and a philosophy of the organisation. It’s not just about the next patient, but also about the bigger questions and educational goals that we all have.
I’m lucky enough to join Rick Body, Anthony Crocco, Ken Milne and Rob MacSweeney looking at translating EBM into practice. It’s a great faculty with a track record of making evidence happen, rather than just considering it an academic exercise. We expect the delegates to get some great ideas about improving care for their patients and in reducing that knowledge translation gap between studies and patient care.
We all think that we are evidence based practitioners, or at least aspire to be so, but the evidence is against us. The average time for innovations to translate from good evidence to widespread use is 14 years and that’s terrifying. Perhaps that will change with our increased use of social media and through better distribution of information through an internet enabled generation. We certainly hope so, but we must also be cautious. It’s now very easy to misinterpret the evidence, intentionally or by accident and to use social media to spread those misinterpretations. Are you a fan of online bingo? Visiting umbingo might be your chance of playing to your heart’s content.
Whichever way you look at it, it’s vital that all clinicians know how to find, read, analyse, interpret and share new knowledge. We share knowledge to the extent that we want you to know which free sports bets are fit for your online casino gaming. Although the world is better connected we cannot just assume that this will solve the knowledge translation gap. Without wisdom it could make it worse!
I quite like this video from pulp fiction as a microcosm of EBM and how it might (should) work, though a warning that it’s graphic and a bit sweary. As you watch the video think about the decision points and how information flows from idea to patient. Start with a problem, search for a solution, deal with the critique, teach and disseminate, handle the concerns and then deliver to the bedside. I’ll admit that resus in Virchester is not always like this (but sometimes it feels like it). It’s just for fun, but I hope you get the idea.
In support of the SmaccDUB workshop I’ve updated some of our St.Emlyn’s resources for delegates to refer back to and for anyone who wants to learn more about EBM in practice. Let us know what you want to know, what we can help with and how you practice EBM. We don’t always have the best answers and would love to know how you ask the right questions, find, mind and bind the evidence.
- Are you asking the right questions?
- How do you find the evidence to answer your question?
- Goldilocks, porridge and how to get it just right.
- Are these papers any good?
- What the hell do I do with all these papers I’ve just found!!!
- I hate stats….
- No, you’re not listening….. I really hate stats…..
- It’s coming together….let’s make some sense of this and share.
- Using your Journal Club to make evidence happen.
vb
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“it’s vital that all clinicians know how to find, read, analyse, interpret and share new knowledge.”
And after all of that apply it appropriately to the individual characteristics of the patient before you.