Evidence-based consumer health information: Developing teaching in critical appraisal skills

Objective: To help people who give health information to the public develop the skills they need to make sense of evidence about effectiveness, Design: Educational approach, preceded by careful planning with representatives of possible participants, Setting and study of participants: Staff in consumer health information services and members of maternity self-help groups in the UK in summer 1995. Interventions: Pairs of half-day workshops introducing participants to randomised controlled trials and systematic reviews and to their critical appraisal, The workshops were run participatively and had at their centre a critical appraisal session in small groups, Main outcome measures: Attendance at workshops; satisfaction and enjoyment of workshops; comments:at a follow-on event, Results: Four pairs of workshops were held (three for consumer health information services, one for maternity self-help groups), 54 people attended a pair of workshops and a further 34 attended individual workshops. The workshops were enjoyed and found to be a good use of time, Conclusions: It is feasible to introduce critical appraisal skills to people whose primary role is to give health information to the public, There is a need for comparative evaluation of different approaches. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.