Attitudes to evidence-based medicine of primary care physicians in Asir region, Saudi Arabia.
A questionnaire survey was made of primary health care physicians in Asir region, Saudi Arabia in 1999 to explore their awareness of and attitude towards evidence-based medicine. The 272 respondents welcomed the principles of evidence-based medicine. Awareness and use of extracting journals, review publications and databases was low. Pharmaceutical company sponsored journals were the most commonly read. Bibliographic databases could only be accessed by 13% of respondents and the Internet by only 6%. There was only partial understanding of technical terms used in evidence-based medicine. Absence of a local library and increased patient workload were seen by most respondents as the main obstacles to practising evidence-based medicine.
Executive Board of the Health Ministers Council for GCC States, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Al-Ansary
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001364:Awareness; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003657:Decision Making; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D004521:Educational Measurement; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007993:Libraries, Medical; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000458:organization & administration; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data