Evidence- and Value-based Solutions for Health Care™ Clinical Improvement Consults, Content Development, Training & Seminars, Tools |
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The EBM Information Quest: Is it true? Is it useful? Is it usable?™ Delfini Co-founders: Michael E Stuart MD, President & Medical Director . Sheri Ann Strite, Managing Director & Principal |
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Harold Wittcoff,
MD ...wasn't boring...was excellent and of use...I learned a great deal that will help me in my job... “Hi Mike…I thought the subject was going to be boring and not much use…I was very wrong. The conference was excellent and I learned a great deal of new information that will help me in assessing the literature in my job…I cannot thank you and Sheri enough.” ........ Megan McIntyre,
PharmD ...best presentation of EBM ever experienced...I feel more confident in my abilities...your passion and commitment is evident and contagious... "What an honor it was to attend your evening meeting on Evidence Based Medicine! It was the best discussion/presentation of EBM, I have experienced. I feel more confident in my ability to procure and apply my clinical knowledge to improve patient outcomes and overall healthcare system quality. In the future, I would love to be more involved with Delfini and also hope to attend a seminar or more intense workshop. Your passion and commitment to EBM is very evident and contagious. Thanks again, Megan McIntyre" ........ David Holloway,
MD ...outstanding evidence review and synthesis...extremely thorough, well-organized...highly useful...superb "Mike, I want to thank you for the outstanding evidence review and synthesis Delfini did for our medical group on ACE inhibitors and angiotensin II receptor blockers ARBs) in heart failure. When I presented the synthesis to our cardiologists they enthusiastically complimented Delfini. They uniformly felt the synthesis was extremely thorough, well-organized and highly useful evidence-based information. Another example of Delfini’s superb work – I can’t thank you enough for helping us navigate a challenging area." ........ Kirsten Searfus,
MD ...boundless enthusiasm for teaching and passion for evidence-based approach is unparalleled... "Sheri, I very much appreciate...the incredible job you have done with the curriculum for 426....Your boundless enthusiasm for teaching and your passion for evidence-based approach to care is unparalleled and will certainly lead to continued success." ........ Keeran Bahinipaty ...critical for our patients...the CORRECT WAY to practice medicine!...very useful... "I have learned the importance of evidence based medicine....Critical for our patients. THE CORRECT WAY TO PRACTICE MEDICINE! I spent some time on your Delfini website and found the resources very useful; including your assessment tools and other web links. I will definitely use it in the future. Thanks Sheri." ........ Cristina F. Gutierrez ...tools are excellent...great resource...think I can start tackling my project...wish I knew about Delfini sooner... "Thanks Sheri! You've been a great resource. The tools on your website are excellent . I think that I can start tackling my project after learning the ways in critiquing the studies. I wish I knew about your company sooner. Again, thanks for all your help." ........ Joseph Gruber, RPH,
CGP, FASCP ...awesome program...really helped...wished we had more... "Sheri, thanks you to and Michael for a great program....I had many of my folks go out of their way to tell me this was an awesome program, stuff they have not thought about before, or didn't learn, and really helped them as we make our clinical decisions. Thanks for the tailored program, we did have folks say they wish we had two whole days, one to do business and one whole day on literature and MD communication. THANKS again. Joseph" ........ Peter J. Keim, MD ...outstanding...invaluable...value in many "take home" actionables...great!... "Sheri, I want to compliment you and Mike on the outstanding presentation at the program in Fort Lauderdale last weekend. I found it invaluable. I always measure the value of programs by the number of 'take home' actionables. It was great! Thanks much, Pete Keim" ........ George Alexis M.S.,R.Ph. ...excellent...very useful program...quality content...expert speakers...custom tailored to meet our needs... "Dear Sheri and Mike, I want to thank you personally and on behalf of all the participants for an excellent and very useful program. The following day we had a scheduled meeting and I received many personal thanks for not only setting up the program but also the quality of the content and expertise of the speakers. As I explained to them the thanks goes to Mike and you who were willing to take the time to work closely with me to custom tailor the program to meet our needs." ........ The Complete Evaluation Comments from the Regence Group — Skamania 2004 Retreat
........ Shanna Patterson ...really gratified...know I will read papers this way in the future...great outlines and tools!... "What was my key learning? Really, I was shocked at how bad reviews can be, especially since I see them used like little "Bibles" in the hospital all the time! Also, obviously, I felt really gratified at being able to critically evaluate a couple reviews and I know I will continue to read papers this way in the future. (Particularly now that I have these great outlines and tools!)" ........ "Name confidential" ...delighted with your seminar...most physicians lack EBM knowledge...very pleased we are now part of a select few...critical to the practice of high quality, cost-effective medicine... "I want to tell you how delighted I was by your seminar. As you noted, most physicians don't have even a rudimentary knowledge of evidence-based medicine. I am very pleased that the providers at Moody AFB are now part of the select few. This information is critical to the practice of high quality, cost-effective medicine." ........ Joyce Gilbert, MPH ...impressive....terrific conference...impressive tools...valuable, fun, memorable...made hard stuff easy to understand... "Aloha, Sheri! I just wanted to drop a line and thank you for a terrific conference and for the work that you and Mike do. Your tools are impressive and I now have a binderful to add to my toolkit. Your website was so entertaining, that I almost didn't make it to the downloadable tools. Thanks for presenting this valuable information in a fun and memorable way. You made hard stuff easier to understand. One unanticipated learning for me as a research author was the need to know how to write a paper that can stand up to critical appraisal, in spite of design flaws. You helped me recognize that there's still value in writing the paper. Thanks for your guidance and encouragement. If you develop a course around presentation of research results that stand up to critical appraisal, please let me know! Mahalo, Joyce" ........ Wayne M. Flicker,
MD, PhD ...excellent...an accomplished speaker and first-rate teacher...complex concepts explained in comprehensible terms...hands-on...highly relevant to a clinician or pharmacist... ...should be required for all who study the health sciences... "Sheri's 5-hour course on evidence-based medicine was excellent. Not only an accomplished speaker who kept her audience interested and attentive, she's a first-rate teacher, who knows how to explain complex concepts in comprehensible terms. The course was "hands-on" and practical, highly relevant to a clinician or pharmacist. Sheri wasted no time in demonstrating to us how easily we can be misled by seemingly convincing, but incomplete or biased data. This material should be required for all who study the health sciences. I know it has helped sharpen my critical and analytical skills regarding the medical literature. I hope to learn more!" ........ Shelly Tanner ...career-changing...life-changing...a pleasure...outstanding tools!... "Sheri, thank you, again, so much for your time and assistance. It is enormously helpful — certainly likely career-changing and, for my patients-to-be, potentially life-changing. And it is a great pleasure to learn from you!...I feel so much more comfortable searching for and critically reading studies now...[and] using your outstanding study validity tool!" ........ Sara Thompson MD ...raved about you...interest...quality... you make EBM fun and alive!... "Mike, everyone once again raved about you, and journal club that afternoon was definitely up a notch or two in interest and quality. You make the whole concept of Evidence Based Medicine fun and alive!" ........ "Name confidential" ...going to put the concepts to use starting this evening!... "Thanks again for a great program! I look forward to accessing the tools you mentioned. Going to put the concepts to use starting this evening! Others should really enjoy your presentation! Best regards..." ........ Mii Hawkins ...great learning experience... "Thanks for the great learning experience and the tools to apply to treatment recommendations that we will come across during our career!" ........ "Name
confidential" ...stellar presentation!...great seminars such as yours make the learning that much easier...tools will be a tremendous asset...we don't run across great programs like yours very often...I can't imagine anyone who couldn't benefit... "I was a participant
at yesterday's seminar provided for pharmacy and medical staff from
Brooke Army Medical Center and Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center.
I want to take this opportunity to thank you and Dr. Stuart for
the stellar presentation! It's amazing how much there is to learn
about EBM, and great seminars such as yours make the learning that
much easier. ........ Jennifer Johnson ....appreciate the training...treature greater perspective and giving consumers honest information... "I can't tell you how much I appreciate the Delfini training and the perspective it's given me as a health writer. As I go through the process of updating topics I cringe at the claims I used to make based on lousy data. My language is much more precise and honest as to quality and type of evidence. I use simple tables to show risk. Thank you so much. You made my job harder but I treasure the greater perspective and mission of giving consumers honest information...." ........ Myra Rae Page ...huge success...able to attract attendees all across US because of high quality speakers like you... "Dear Mike and Sheri, just a short note to thank you for helping make the 7th Annual Primary Care 2004 Update Conference a huge success. We have been able to attract attendees from all across the United States because of high quality speakers like you. We want to let you know how much we appreciate and thank you for all the time and effort you invested in preparing and presenting at our conference. Once again thank you." ........ Sharon B. Dybicz,
Pharm.D., CGP ...fantastic website...work inspiring!... "Happy New Year, Sheri! The website is fantastic! Your work is inspiring!" ........ Miles Bennett, 4th
Year Medical Student ...important and well taught... "Thank you so much. I enjoyed the class too. I'm glad to see that something so important is being well taught. Thanks again. I will definitely use the Delfini resources whenever I appraise scientific studies." ........ Caroline Day, MD ...succinct, most clear, excellent...amazingly practical and useful tools... "Sheri, Thank you very much. Your presentation is most succinct and clear — one of the most clear I have experienced. It has excellent content and offers amazingly practical and useful tools. Kudos for your effort and excellence!" ........ Maura McCaffrey,
RPh, MBA ...fabulous...useful...appreciate your enthusiasm and commitment... "Dear Sheri, thank you for the fabulous lecture on medical literature. I heard many accolades from my fellow employees. Especially our nurse care managers – they found the program to be very useful to their everyday work. Thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment to the validity and results of research! Sincerely, Maura" ........ Wiley V. Chan, MD ...wonderful conference...clear presentations, great examples...practical tools... "Sheri & Mike, thanks again for your wonderful conference. Your clear presentations, great examples & practical tools make a sometimes difficult process seem so transparent. I know a couple hundred people...who have got to hear your message!" ........ Alan Miller, RPh
MS ...far superior tools... "Sheri, thanks for a very professional and useful inservice in Phoenix yesterday. Your checklist for evaluating medical literature is far superior to the abbreviated list I have used in the past." ........ James R. Dickens,
Pharm.D. ...probably the most valuable presentation I have attended as a pharmacist... "Sheri, I was at the Omnicare meeting in Orlando last week and I thoroughly enjoyed your and Mike's program. It was probably the most valuable presentation that I have attended as a pharmacist. I have been looking through your website on and off during the last week and would be interested in obtaining the password you mentioned. Also, I teach a course for the University of Florida College of Pharmacy campus here in Orlando and I think that my students would benefit from your checklist on how to do a study evaluation. Would it be possible for me to make copies of the checklist only available to them. I have already started referring them to your website. Thanks again for a great presentation! Regards!" ........ Bahram Khadivi ...information was very practical...I saw plenty of ways to utilize the skills...including the Delfini website... "Hi Sheri, thanks for the email and the helpful attachment. It was a pleasure having you as our workshop leader. The information presented was very practical and I saw plenty of ways that I could utilize those skills in the future, including those found on your website. Thank you! Best wishes for continued success with your website service. Most sincerely, Bahram" ........ Ellen Espiau ...invaluable...deeply enjoyed...no-nonsense and voice of reason.... "Hi Sheri, I attended the "Reading the Medical Literature" seminar you held for PacifiCare employees last week...and I wanted to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for your presentation! The information you provided is going to be invaluable to me and I deeply enjoyed your no-nonsense approach to the whole thing. Thanks for providing a voice of reason! At the same time, I would like to ask you to send me the required password for some additional tools that can be downloaded from the Delfini website. I am very much looking forward to trying them out....feel free to use my email as a testimonial for your classes, I would love to help you and Mike spread the word...Thanks again and all the best wishes, Ellen" ........ John Theodore, Pharm
D. ...your lecture was one of the high points...look forward to using the information in practice... "Good Morning Sheri, I attended the lecture you gave at URI's Seminar By The Sea last week and would like to receive the information on the assessment validity of sytematic reviews that you spoke about. Your lecture was one of the high points of the seminar and I look forward to using the information in my practice. Thank you for helping clear up a confusing topic." ........ John Donovan ...great means to review data...will be able to direct my staff better... "Sheri, good morning from Boston...Your and Mike's program certainly has added great means to review data. As the Operations Manager I will be able to direct my staff to better review and make decisions on articles. Thanks." ........ Rosa Sanchez, Pharm
D ...great program...especially enjoyed information and decision aids...help us better communicate with patients... "I just want to thank you again for the great program you presented last week in Ft. Lauderdale. The information presented will be very helpful, I especially enjoyed the portion on 'Information and Decision Aids.' The information provided will help us better communicate patient-related clinical information to maximize our retrospective drug utilization review interventions." ........ Karline Roberts,
MA, CPHQ ...loved your program...learned a lot...could keep learning with more... "Hi, Sheri. I was at the Ft. Lauderdale conference.... I loved your program and learned a lot. I think I could attend it several times and keep learning something new each time. It was a lot to absorb in such a short time. I came away with wishing we had a researcher on staff. Now I know that we have not taken the time to properly research clinical guidelines. That will change! I just need 20 more hours in a day. Anyway, I'd like to thank you and Mike for a great couple of days." ........ Jill D. Bowman ...especially helpful tools...wonderful workshop...dynamic speakers...easy for people to grasp... "Hi Sheri, I was hoping to get access to the tools you presented at the EBM meeting in Hawaii via your website. I think the Validity Tool could be especially helpful to my department in creating Clinical Practice Guidelines. I also wanted to commend you on a wonderful workshop. You and Mike are dynamic speakers and you lay out the information so that it is easy for people to grasp. I'm glad I was able to participate." ........ Cecilia Gutierrez,
MD ...clear, dynamic, clinically relevant...outstanding... “Dear Sheri…I wanted to tell you that your presentation was one of the best I heard…it was clear, dynamic, clinically relevant and with good examples….Often, I worry that epidemiologists and biostats people give very dry, convoluted presentations losing the audience with complex concepts and math analysis, which are boring to us, the clinicians….Once again, thank you so much for an outstanding presentation…I truly appreciate your support in the education of our residents.” ........ "Name confidential" ...great information...very practical and methodical...terrific conference... "I just wanted to thank you for the great information you provided at the Clinical Practice Guidelines meeting this past weekend in Fort Lauderdale. The information, although not entirely new to me, was presented in a very practical and methodical way which helps when you are trying to operationalize some of these concepts into your work. Thanks again for a terrific conference." ........ Valerie Matsunaga,
PharmD ...wonderful experience...the gains cannot even begin to be measured...positive and enlightening... "Sheri, I wanted to personally thank you [and Mike] for the wonderful experience of learning and heightening awareness to our physicians, leaders and pharmacists and all those present this past weekend. The gains cannot even begin to be measured. Mahalo nui loa for a positive and enlightening time....Anyway, with that, have a great long weekend, and continue in your passion and quest to educate us all. Val" ........ Mark Shalauta, MD ...awesome!... "It was an awesome lecture, Sheri! Thanks!" ........ Tobie Bresloff, MD ...pharmacist even changed her flight so she didn't have to miss any of the conference...appreciated the extra time you spent tailoring the program to the needs of the group...showed that cost effective care can also be the best care... "Sheri, I just looked at the evaluations from the 'Using Medical Literature' conference we had here in October. They were great. The rankings were very high for both you and Mike. The comments said that it was very valuable, and for the most part, they wish they had more of it. As you know, the pharmacist that was there, changed her flight out of the city to a meeting to a later flight so she did not have to miss any of the conference. Previously she thought it would not be a problem to miss the last afternoon. Then she found how helpful the information was. By the way, her husband is in charge of CE for the school of Pharmacy here, and he may be interested in a similar presentation for the students there. The extra time you both spent tailoring the program to the needs and interests of the group that we had was well worth it. Even though some may have been review for a few, I saw them listening intently. I have now heard most of this 3 times, and I still get new information, and recharged enthusiasm from the meeting. One added benefit was the emphasis on evidence to determine cost effective care, and the balance sheet example. Since I have been in charge of Medical Economics, some doctors accuse me of just being interested in saving money. Your presentation showed that cost effective care can also be the best care. The osteoporosis example, looking at more than just the drug costs, was great. I am hoping that Saint John and Saint Francis will continue to work together to do more with you. Since we probably represent over 60% of the medical community (and with Springer Clinic, it would be 70%), the more we can get everyone critically appraising what they read and hear, the more medical care in this State will improve. Thanks again. The Palm Beach conference was so good, that Tim Young and I were determined to bring the “road show” here, and we finally accomplished it. I hope there will be much more down the road." ........ Meiko I. Winton,
MPH ...fantastic!... "I think all the resources you provide - conferences, Website, humor, etc... are fantastic!!!" ........ Kenneth T. Woo, Pharm.D. ...before I was bogged down with all the information...now I can navigate... "Before your program, I was bogged down in trying to sift through the abundance of material in the literature. After attending; however, I was able to establish the basic fundamental principles needed to help me navigate through and analyze journals. Thanks. Kenny" ........ Jim Shahriar, M.S.,
R.Ph. ...a pleasure...new insights...wonderful job... "Dear Michael and Sheri, it was a pleasure to meet you and attend the EBM course on February 28 and March 1, 2003. Although I had studied the course material in my graduate courses, the EBM program was very helpful and gave me new insights in how to approach and evaluate literature effectively. In fact, your two-day course reviewed two of my gradutate courses. Thank you for such a wonderful job and please keep up the good work." ........ Tanner Odom, PharmD ...without a doubt the best meeting I've ever attended...extremely relevant...couldn't wait to get started the next morning...so useful... “I wanted to thank you very much for the opportunity to attend the Clinical Practice GuidelinesWorkshop this past week. This meeting was without a doubt the best meeting I've ever attended. The information provided was extremely relevant and will prove to be very useful for the rest of my professional career. Never have I attended a meeting where I couldn't wait to get started the next morning following the completion of that days’ session. This information is so useful, that we are looking to do some sort of a miniature workshop to share this information with the entire Clinical Services group.” ........ Linda Bolland, PharmD ...informative and highly enjoyable... "Thank you, Sheri, for a very nice, informative presentation. You can preach to a roomful of coffin-laden corpses and they'll probably jump out and do a jig. I enjoyed your presentation-style and content, and hope to be your prodigy someday." ........ Jenean Young, PharmD ...amazed how you've made this so simple and easy to understand...many pointers and shortcuts...using everyday...your energy and enthusiasm most appreciated!... "Sheri, I want to send my thanks for what I gained in attending your seminar on EBM. I have attended a few seminars on the topic in the past because I felt this is an area that I need to understand better. I am a pharmacist working in a teaching institution and much of my time is spent working with medical residents. I was fortunate to have as an attending physician, one that was very interested in EBM and he offered our team, the opportunity to attend your seminar. I was amazed at how simple and easy to understand you and Mike have made this subject! I picked up so many pointers and short cuts, that I am now using everyday. Another pearl is your website - I have book marked it and I do hope to attend future seminars. Even though I feel more comfortable with EBM and literature review after attending your seminar, I feel I can now "fine tune" some of my skills by attending more of your seminars. Thanks again, your energy and enthusiasm is most appreciated! " ........ Curt W. Quap, RPh,
MS ...very interesting and educational...valuable... "I wanted to thank you, again, for your very interesting and educational presentation. Both of the students who I brought to your Houston session have told me that you verified much of what I've been hoping to teach them about careful evaluation of the available medical literature. A healthy dose of skepticism is a valuable lesson!" ........ Judy Hughes, MSPH ...well organized...highly recommended... “Overall, the critical appraisal meeting was well organized, and the content and smooth processes were reflective of the speakers’ and sponsor’s attention to all the details. I highly recommend future meetings with this level of collaboration between the speakers and the sponsors. Speaking more on the
content of the meeting… ........ Tim Young, MD ...practical tools...will allow us to effectively evaluate information...confident now more likely to improve patient outcomes... “I'm writing to let you know how much I enjoyed the recent meeting, ‘Evidence-based Medicine and Clinical Practice Guidelines.’ Not only did we get a theoretical basis, but also several practical tools that will allow us to effectively evaluate both individual articles and guidelines. We're confident that these tools will help our docs provide care that is more evidence-based, and therefore more likely to improve patient outcomes. Once again, many thanks.” ........ Lee R. Strandberg,
PhD ...outstanding!!!... “Thanks again for inviting me to participate in the program. Your work is truly outstanding!!!” ........ Allyson Looney Wojtaszek,
PharmD ...enjoyed the program...very useful tools...will help to teach the principles to others... "Good morning Sheri. I enjoyed your CE on Monday and I'm writing to request the check list for evaluating medical literature that you mentioned. I'm a drug information resident and I usually have 3 or 4 PharmD students at my site (CVS/pharmacy Clinical Services at CVS headquarters) and evaluating literature is an important aspect of their rotation (and drug info in general). I think your tools would be very useful in helping us teach how to evaluate medical literature and think critically before applying results to actual practices. Thanks!" ........ Anne L. Whitlock,
RN, BSN ...left with all the tools needed to utilize the learnings...easier to understand and simpler to do...invaluable...everyone present 100% of the time...a dynamic duo...a wealth of information...left feeling I could be successful...thanks for this superior conference... "Thank you for inviting me to participate in the recent conference, Evidence-based Medicine & Clinical Practice Guidelines: How to Get and Use the Best Available Evidence for Clinical Improvement....I wanted to take this opportunity to share some comments with your regarding the experience. First of all, the conference was very relevant to my position as Guidelines Development Coordinator for KP Georgia. It is difficult to find continuing education programs with regard to clinical practice guidelines. The conference not only dealt with issues from development to implementation, participants left with all the tools needed to go home and utilize the learnings. As you know, I attended a course that Dr. Michael Stuart presented on Evidence-based Medicine a couple of years ago. I learned the importance of evaluating evidence in the medical literature, and “how” it was done. I found the process difficult to replicate on my own. The format of this workshop (small group, hands on experience with the tools) not only made the process easier to understand, it made it much simpler to do. The electronic templates provided of the various tools is invaluable! As KP Georgia continues to develop and update our evidence-based guidelines, I will be better prepared to evaluate the literature to ensure that we are basing our decisions on the best available evidence as a direct result of learnings and tools from this conference. I want the practitioners and clinical pharmacists in my organization to share in the benefits I have gained. To that end, I am meeting with our professional development coordinator tomorrow to explore the possibilities of a similar presentation here. I am hopeful that arrangements might be made for you and Dr. Stuart to visit the Atlanta area at a future date. As guideline development and updates are a coordinated effort, I think it is important that we all evaluate the literature in a consistent manner. I was impressed not only with the conference content, but also the caliber of the presenters, conference location, organization and arrangements. It was first class! I do not recall attending a meeting where everyone was present 100% of the time, both physically and mentally. The group of participants (variety of professional backgrounds/positions) brought together contributed positively to the overall experience. The small size of the meeting allowed for sharing of ideas and networking. You and Dr. Stuart are a dynamic duo. I appreciated that questions were asked and addressed throughout the program. You both presented a wealth of information in a relatively brief time. I was worried at first, but left feeling that I had learned the basics and with the tools provided (CD, course syllabus with extensive appendices) I could be successful (with practice) in developing these new skills. Thank you again for including me in the invitations to this superior conference." |
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