Diminishing Effect Sizes with Repeated Exposure to Evidence-Based Practice Training in Entry-Level Health Professional Students: A Longitudinal Study

PURPOSE To investigate the magnitude of change in outcomes after repeated exposure to evidence-based practice (EBP) training in entry-level health professional students. METHOD Using an observational cross-sectional analytic design, the study tracked 78 students in physiotherapy, podiatry, health science, medical radiations, and human movement before and after two sequential EBP courses. The first EBP course was aimed at developing foundational knowledge of and skills in the five steps of EBP; the second was designed to teach students to apply these steps. Two EBP instruments were used to collect objective (actual knowledge) and self-reported (terminology, confidence, practice, relevance, sympathy) data. Participants completed both instruments before and after each course. RESULTS Effect sizes were larger after the first course than after the second for relevance (0.72 and 0.26, respectively), practice (1.23 and 0.43), terminology (2.73 and 0.84), and actual knowledge (1.92 and 1.45); effect sizes were larger after the second course for sympathy (0.03 and 0.14) and confidence (0.81 and 1.12). CONCLUSIONS Knowledge and relevance changed most meaningfully (i.e., showed the largest effect size) for participants with minimal prior exposure to training. Changes in participants' confidence and attitudes may require a longer time frame and repeated training exposure.