Evidence-Based Factsheet (EBF) Assignment

Purpose:

1. Demonstrate how to locate, interpret, evaluate and use professional literature to make ethical evidence-based practice decisions.

2. Use current information technologies to locate and apply evidence-based guidelines and protocols, such as the AND Evidence Analysis Library, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, National Guideline Clearinghouse Web sites.

3. Demonstrate effective and professional written communication and documentation and use of current information technologies when communicating with others.

Process:

Over the course of this semester, you will have an opportunity to create an evidenced-based factsheet examining the relationship between FOLATE and a specific disease/health outcome (e.g., cold development, energy, hypertension, hair growth, osteoporosis, etc.).
You must have a minimum of five good references for each factsheet. “Good” means the references are from peer-reviewed journals and evidence-based guidelines, such as those available at the websites listed below. This means that your five “good” references should NOT come from textbooks or non-peer-reviewed Internet websites/magazines. All types of research articles (such as review articles, meta-analyses, randomized controlled trials, epidemiological studies, cohort studies, etc.) are acceptable references as long as they are from peer-reviewed sources.

**Your evidence-based factsheet should address 2 main questions:

(1) What evidence is available that links the micronutrient with the disease/health outcome?Example: What evidence links dietary intake of vitamin C with cold prevention?

(2) What evidence-based guidelines should the patient/client follow?

Example: Be sure to, at minimum, consume the RDA for vitamin C daily for proper immune function.

Finding Individual Peer-reviewed Research Articles and Review Articles:

Use the CSUN Library website at http://library.csun.edu/ to access the following (look under

“Databases A to Z”) LET ME KNOW TO GIVE YOU MY ACCOUNT o Pubmed

o Medline(Ovid) o WebofScience

Finding Systematic Reviews and Evidence-Based Guidelines/Protocols:

• AND Evidence Analysis Library at https://www.andeal.org (student membership required)
• USDA’s Nutrition Evidence Library at http://www.nutritionevidencelibrary.com/
• Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews at http://www.thecochranelibrary.com/
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,

National Guideline Clearinghouse Web site at http://www.guideline.gov/

Output/Style Guidelines:

• You should design your evidence-based factsheet so it could be used for a brief educational session with a patient or client. This means it should be visually appealing and easy to read (i.e., not just paragraphs of text with no subheadings).

• You may design your factsheet with whatever creative/artistic approaches you desire (e.g., tables, graphics, bullet points, etc.) as long as they are appropriate for your patient/client audience.

• The length of the document should be 2 pages total (or printed on one page front and back) with a MINIMUM word count of 500 words (this word count does not include references).

• Numbered references should be indicated at the end of each sentence/statement in parentheses AND the full reference should be listed at the end of the document (small font size is OK!) using the style guide of the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – UPLOADED.