The first edition of the BLICS – B-Learning Introduction to Clinical Studies, a clinical research course developed at the Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto (FMUP), with the support of CINTESIS – Center for Health Technology and Services Research.
The course is aimed at resident medical interns and specialists, medical students, nurses, pharmacists and senior health technicians, among other health professionals, and it will be taught in a b-learning mode, with the possibility of attending classes online (live) or on-site.
Credited by the University of Porto with 6 ECTS, the BLICS will have three modules: Research Methodologies: from bibliography to study design, between February 2 and 10; Biostatistics: from theory to practice of data analysis, between February 16 and March 3; Writing a scientific article: from analysis to publication, from March 9 to 17.
The program includes, for example, research and management of bibliography and references, evaluation of accuracy and reproducibility of screening and diagnostic tests, basic concepts of Biostatistics, writing of scientific articles, presentation of results, publication and communication in science.
The course is of a theoretical-practical nature, and classes will take place on Fridays, between 5 pm and 7 pm, and Saturdays, from 9 am to 1 pm. In total the course provides 46 contact hours. The availability of pedagogical material (lesson slides, practical exercises, supporting texts and complementary bibliography) is now assured, as well as access to bibliographic reference management and data analysis software, namely EndNote and SPSS, via federate access through the FMUP network.
The coordination of the BLICS is carried out by João Fonseca, Ovídio Costa, Altamiro da Costa Pereira (coordinator of CINTESIS), and the lectures are taught by members and researchers of MEDCIDS and CINTESIS.
Applications are online and will be open between November 6 and December 11, at the official website of the course: blics.pt. More information can be obtained by telephone at the number 225 513 622, by email to blics.medcids@gmail.com or in the BLICS Facebook page.