Evidence-based thinking and why it matters. Views expressed represent the views of the author and not necessarily those of CEBM as a group.
Research highlight: Electronic Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation: Cochrane Living Systematic Review
8 March 2023
Today is National No Smoking Day 2023, and we're delighted to share the research happening across the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences and the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, to determine the effects of e-cigarettes to help smokers achieve long‐term abstinence.
Investigating the Epidemiology of Opioids in England
6 March 2023
In this blog, fourth year medical student, Antonia-Oliva Roberts, discusses her extended essay, investigating opioid consumption in England, as part of the Final Honour's Scheme.
Evidence-based research needs to become our day-to-day tool to address health challenges and answer complex problems
19 January 2023
In this blog, MSc EBHC student, Filippo Giliberti, discusses how the programme enables students to ask bold questions and answer complex health problems.
The student voice: Medical Student Ioan Baxter share 3rd-year research project
7 December 2022
Ioan Baxter, a 3rd-year medical student, at Worcester College, writes this blog, detailing his research project, as part of the Final Honours Scheme Research Projects Programme, completed under the supervision of Dr. David Nunan of the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
Response to Physicians for Smoke-Free Canada’s coverage of the Cochrane review of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation
In this blog, Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce and Dr Nicola Lindson from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, address comments and questions raised by Physicians for a Smoke-Free Canada, relating to the recently published Cochrane review of e-cigarettes for smoking cessation.
7 things to know about e-cigarettes and quitting smoking
In this blog, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce from the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group and Martin Dockrell from the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities share 7 things you need to know about e-cigarettes and quitting smoking, with evidence from the Cochrane Living Review of E-cigarettes and Smoking Cessation.
The precarity of health policy
In this blog, researchers and module coordinators, Dr Nicola Lindson and Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, discuss the Nuffield Intervention Ladder: a way of systematising interventions on the ‘Libertarianism’ to ‘Collectivism’ ideological spectrum that often influence approaches to public health matters.
Postgraduate perspective: Generating a Research Question for a Systematic Review
16 November 2022
Many postgraduate students struggle to formulate their research questions. In this blog, Evidence-Based Health Care DPhil student, Ali Mulhem, shares his experience of finding a research question for a dissertation, having previously completed the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care.
Alumnus perspective: Developing research skills and a questioning mindset
27 October 2022
In this blog, MSc in EBHC alumnus, Drew Dagens, reflects on his experience of the programme and his research project under the supervision of Course Director, Annette Plüddemann, having recently published his dissertation in the journal, 'Clinical Microbiology and Infection'.
Is it time for OCEBM Levels of Evidence v.3?
In this blog, EBHC DPhil student, Ranin Soliman, reveals why she believes now, as we emerge out of the covid-19 pandemic, is a crucial time to revise the OCEBM 2011 Levels of Evidence v.2, to address health economic evaluation and avoid over-estimation of predicted outcomes and misinterpretation of findings.
Angille Heintzman: Transition from MSc to DPhil in Evidence-Based Healthcare
20 October 2022
EBHC DPhil student, Angille Heintzman, shares her experience having completed an MSc in EBHC and now furthering her education by completing a DPhil in EBHC.
Omotayo Adebanji: Transitioning from MSc to DPhil in EBHC
20 October 2022
EBHC DPhil student, Omotayo Adebanji, shares his experience having completed an MSc in EBHC and now furthering his education by completing a DPhil in EBHC.
Research; it’s all about your question. What is it that you want to know?
EBHC DPhil student, Nicole Juul-Hindsgaul, is investigating what success looks like in obesity management. In this blog, Nicole explains how qualitative research methods can be used to better understand how success is defined and the experiences of those living with obesity.
Introducing new short course for 2023: Economics of Health Care
In this blog, Course Tutor and Senior Researcher in Health Economics, Dr Padraig Dixon, shares some of the key topics taught on the new short course 'Economics of Health Care', and highlights their relevance pertaining real-world health care challenges, opportunities, and decision-making.
Retracted publications on COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2: transparency in research
1 July 2022
Final-year medical students, Ibrahim and Alicia, share details of their Special Studies Module (SSM) project; carried out alongside Dr. David Nunan at the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine.
Sixth year primary care medical students share details of their project focusing on identifying research irregularities for systematic reviews
28 June 2022
Sixth year primary care medical students Sarah Peters and Archie Lodge joined the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine for a three-week period as part of a special study module to improve their knowledge of evidence-based medicine. In this blog, they discuss their project, focusing on evaluating available techniques to identify research irregularities that require further scrutiny and the role they play when conducting systematic reviews.
Five ways the pandemic has affected routine medical care
Director of the Evidence-Based Health Care DPhil programme, Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, shares five ways that the pandemic has affected routine medical care - also published in The Conversation.
Sixth year medical student, Ben, shares details of upcoming project, focusing on critically appraising tools used to influence clinical decision-making
30 May 2022
Sixth year primary care medical student, Ben, will be joining the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine for a three-week period as part of his special study module (SSM), to pursue his interests in meta-analysis and interventions.
Sixth year medical student shares evidence-based project as part of the special studies module (SSM)
16 May 2022
Sixth year primary care medical student, Charlotte, joined the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine for a three-week period as part of her special study module, to improve her knowledge of evidence-based medicine. In this blog, Charlotte discusses her project, focusing on evaluating the reporting of medication adherence to pharmacological interventions in coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) related randomized control trials (RCTs).
Cranberry for acute Urinary Tract Infection – an old wives’ tale? Or mother nature’s cure?
28 April 2022
Cranberry in various forms has been used by women for decades to help treat Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). Up to 27% of women report using cranberry to help treat a UTI (1). But does it actually work? Primary Care post-doctoral researcher, Dr Oghenekome Gbinigie, explains findings from her recent studies.
Sarah McKeown: Why I’m Studying Patient Access at Oxford
7 April 2022
Sarah McKeown, a second-year DPhil on the Evidence-Based Medicine Programme, writes about her experience of clinical studies in low-resource settings and studying differences in access to cancer medication between patients covered by England’s NHS and the U.S. Medicare program.
Why is 2 o’clock on Wednesday a bad time to teach EBM to most AHP students?
25 February 2022
In this blog, student, Christopher Banks-Pillar, shares his experience, having progressed from training as a physiotherapist to currently completing his final year on the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care here at Oxford.
Clinical Prediction Rules: improving clinical decision-making and patient care
In this blog, Dr Tom Fanshawe, course lead on our new accredited short course, Clinical Prediction Rules, details how clinical prediction rules can be applied to improve health care, and how the course aims to teach all aspects of studies from design and model development to interpretation and validation.
Reflexivity and Storytelling: What could healthcare professionals could learn from qualitative researchers?
14 February 2022
MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care alumni, Kirsten Prest, reflects on the qualitative research she conducted as part of her dissertation, with a particular emphasis on reflexivity and storytelling.
What is it like to be a Researcher in Residence during a pandemic?
In this blog, Health Services Researcher, Debra Westlake, from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine, explores her previous role investigating social prescribing at the University of Plymouth, Community and Primary Care Research Group where she was working as a Researcher in Residence for a health system in the southwest of England.
A best-fit approach to synthesising qualitative research: combining papers on volunteering
Senior Researcher and Departmental Lecturer, Dr Stephanie Tierney, explains how a best-fit framework synthesis was undertaken tor review papers on volunteering, as a way to support people's health and well-being.
Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 associated with aircraft travel: a systematic review
19 November 2021
Alumni, Cecilia Rosca, from Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Timisoara, Romania, shares research findings that suggest air travel may be associated with the transmission of viruses.
Hunting for evidence to understand coronavirus risks in people with diabetes
EBHC DPhil Director, Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce has lived with type 1 diabetes for 26 years. She has two small children and a black Labrador puppy, and loves nothing more than exploring the seashore with them in tow. Dr Jamie tells us about her research into coronavirus and diabetes, as shared in Diabetes UK.
Preventing deaths from cardiovascular disease and anticoagulants: an analysis of coroner Prevention of Future Deaths reports (PFDs) questions whether lessons are being learnt
27 October 2021
Preventing premature death is the aim of coroners’ Prevention of Future Deaths reports. But is this system really helping us to prevent such harms? Oxford medical student, Ali Anis, examined deaths involving cardiovascular disease and anticoagulants for his Final Honours Scheme (FHS) research, to assess the state of play, now published in BJGP Open.
Student spotlight: finding the way out of an Evidence-Based Health Care maze
26 October 2021
In this alumni spotlight, Dr Nicole Lindner, a German GP, shares her experience of studying on the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care
Is it time for Evidence-Based Medicine 2.0?
Director of the new MSc in EBHC Teaching and Education, David Nunan, reflects on evidence-based medicine (EBM) in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and proposes what the evolution of EBM might look like.
Student, Dr. Dor Vadas: my experience on the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care
19 October 2021
Physiotherapist, Dr. Dor Vadas from Israel, shares his experience of studying for the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care, describing it as a platform that allowed him to become better in connecting the academic world of research and evidence with ‘real life’ practice.
Beyond the numbers: Qualitative synthesis and its contribution to knowledge on COVID-19
Tutor, Stephanie Tierney, highlights the importance of qualitative synthesis as evidence, to help us understand issues related to health behaviours, experiences of illness, treatment, acceptability of an intervention, barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a new service, and more recently with its contribution to making sense of COVID-19.
E-cigarettes: misconceptions about their dangers may be preventing people from quitting smoking
When electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) first emerged, they became a popular way for people to quit smoking. But in 2019, a mysterious lung condition emerged that primarily affected young people, particularly those who vaped. This left many questioning the safety of e-cigarettes.
COVID: the reason cases are rising among the double vaccinated – it’s not because vaccines aren’t working
Sir Patrick Vallance, the UK’s chief scientific adviser, has announced that 40% of people admitted to hospital with COVID in the UK have had two doses of a coronavirus vaccine. At first glance, this rings very serious alarm bells, but it shouldn’t. The vaccines are still working very well.
“And then Evidence Resonates” poem
EBHC DPhil rep, Ranin Soliman, writes poem about the concepts of evidence-based medicine/healthcare (EBM/EBHC), and its role in guiding researchers, clinicians, and policy-makers to make informed decisions for patients and the public regarding care delivery and clinical practice.
Can science help us avoid another Christian Eriksen?
David Nunan, programme Director for the PGCert in Teaching Evidence-Based Health Care, writes with Evidence-Based Healthcare MSc student Aaron Lear, Akron General Orthopedics, Cleveland Clinic.
Student, Dr. Alan Brunton, reflects on his experience of our Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Screening module
20 June 2021
Dr. Alan Brunton, a Specialty Registrar in Acute Internal Medicine and student on the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care reflects on his experience of our Evidence-Based Diagnosis and Screening module.
Student Spotlight: Kyriaki Pieri
17 June 2021
Academic Clinical Fellow, Kyriaki Pieri, shares her experience of the Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research.
The Tipping Point for Digital Health
Evelyn Pyper, DPhil Student in EBHC, makes the case for patient-centric digital health, now accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Most Important, and Overlooked, Questions in EBM Research are Qualitative
21 May 2021
Mike Tringale, MSM, MSc, completed the MSc in EBHC and shares his perspective on the importance of qualitative research in health care.
Student Spotlight: discovering evidence-based practice and the MSc
18 May 2021
Graduate, Steven Langton shares his experience having completed both the MSc in Evidence-Based Health Care, and more recently, the DPhil programme in Evidence-Based Health Care, both at the University of Oxford.
Thinking about meta-synthesis and its proliferation over recent years
A reflection of teaching the postgraduate short course: Introduction to Synthesising Qualitative Research