Real-world evidence (RWE) is a subset of evidence-based medicine that refers to health care information gathered through means outside of the typical clinical research settings. Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is the use of best available clinical evidence from systematic research combined with clinical expertise to deliver the best possible clinical care to patients [1,2]. Since its advent in the 1990s, EBM has been shown to be the cornerstone of the medical profession, raising awareness of using reliable, published evidence to aid decision making in medicine [3,4]. Sources of RWE data can come from electronic health records (EHRs), health surveys, claims and billing data, product and disease registries, mobile health apps, and personal smart devices. Collectively, the real RWE base can generate invaluable insights and findings on diseases, products, and patient populations [5,6].

Regulatory bodies around the world are gaining interest in RWE. Notably, the US Food and Drug Administration has recently announced a $100 million project to build a modern system that will gather RWE from approximately 10 million individuals [7], and the European Union has funded over 170 initiatives related to RWE, of which 65 received over 734 million euros of public funding [8]. According to a report from McKinsey and Company [9], pharmaceutical companies have recognized the impact of RWE and are actively applying it to safety, postmarket, and end-to-end product development to facilitate research and development and commercial and safety decisions.

The anticipated importance of data collection and analysis of RWE in the future of clinical trials and development of medicines is evident. In order to meet the future demands of RWE researchers in terms of realizing the true potential of RWE in transforming health care, it is important to educate stakeholders such as researchers, clinicians, and policy makers in RWE in an appropriate way.

EBM has long been taught to medical professionals, including clinicians and nurses [10-12], and due to its importance in clinical care, teaching EBM in medical school has been investigated in various studies. Smith et al [13] conducted a controlled trial to look into the effectiveness of EBM courses for residents. Another recent study conducted by Nasr et al [14] evaluated four EBM workshops taught to residents-in-training and postgraduates in medical school. Interestingly, Slawson et al [15] suggested the importance of information management in the teaching of EBM back in 2005, and with the rapid development of big data, better computer processors, and the maturation of machine learning in recent years, information management is more important than ever in EBM. However, it is unknown how RWE is being taught and what the effects are.

This systematic review aims to answer the following research questions:

A sample search was conducted using PubMed, and the sample search string returned 943 results: (“real world evidence” OR “RWE” OR “big data analytic*” OR “real world data” OR “electronic health record*”) AND (“medical education” OR “medical student*” OR “medical curriculum” OR “medical school*”). The search string will be further fine-tuned in the review.