Erika Ndidi, Psychobiology BS; Katherine A. Fu, MD

Introduction/Background
Journal clubs have historically taught evidence-based practice, but can have disadvantages. This study adapts Dzara et al.’s novel “No-prep” journal club format to the discussion of neurologic clinical trials and determines common themes of learning related to research methodology and clinical application of research among UCLA neurology residents.

Methods
Four one-hour, “no-prep” journal clubs (JCs) were conducted at the UCLA neurology residency program from January to April 2024. This format followed Dzara et al.’s publication, but ended with discussions of relevance to clinical practice to ground formats in patient care. Worksheets with questions pertaining to proposed study designs and clinical application of research findings were shared with residents complete during the journal club. A content analysis of data collected from the worksheets was then performed to generate common themes.

Results
From 171 possible question responses, 97 were collected (57% response rate). Content analysis showed that residents often identified appropriate primary and secondary outcomes for
research questions and considered additional diagnostics to support the study’s inclusion/exclusion criteria. Strengths and weaknesses of chosen study designs were reported
less consistently. Some reported unchanged clinical practice, while others reported improved confidence in counseling patients about novel treatments. A minority reported earlier treatment
administration to eligible patients. 

Discussion
Content analysis of “no-prep” journal club worksheets demonstrated enhanced discussions of inclusion/exclusion criteria and primary and secondary outcomes but had inconsistent evaluations of strengths and weaknesses. There were variable reports of changes in clinical practice, though some reported increased confidence around treatment counseling. Further studies are needed to explore retention of learned information and applicability to other residency programs.