Journal clubs and critical appraisal of Health Sciences information sources

Technology and medical knowledge change at a speedy pace, and the number of articles published every year grows exponentially. Additionally, the quality of the literature is variable, and therefore professionals should be selective about what they read, starting from critical appraisal of the sources consulted enabling them to apply the findings of evidence-based medicine. Journal clubs are a strategy included within research training aimed at developing critical reading skills in their participants. They also foster evidence-based medicine, continuing education, and the development of leadership and communication skills. Various studies have evaluated the impact of journal clubs, and a number of systematic reviews have aimed to summarize the effects of these interventions on students, residents and professionals. Findings suggest heterogeneous results and limited theoretical foundations. In that context, the purpose of this article is to present the most updated information available about the impact of journal clubs on the training in skills related to the critical appraisal of information sources in health sciences syllabuses. The sources analyzed indicate that exposure to multiple sessions of a journal club makes it possible to teach and develop critical appraisal skills, come in contact with biomedical literature and help disseminate clinical research.