Awareness and use of evidence-based medicine databases and Cochrane Library among physicians in Croatia.
OBJECTIVE
To assess awareness and use of evidence-based medicine (EBM) databases and The Cochrane Library among physicians in Croatia.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study with a telephone survey was performed among 573 physicians (88.6% response rate from 647 contacted physicians) from family practice and 4 major university hospital centers in Croatia. The main outcome measures were physicians' awareness of The Cochrane Collaboration, awareness and use of The Cochrane Library, access to EBM databases, and access to internet at work.


RESULTS
Overall, 54% of respondents said they had access to EBM databases, but when asked which databases they used, they named mostly non-EBM databases. The question on the highest level of evidence in EBM was correctly answered by 53% respondents, 30% heard of The Cochrane Collaboration, and 34% heard about The Cochrane Library. They obtained information about The Cochrane Library mostly from colleagues and research articles, whereas the information about EBM was gained mainly during continuous medical education. There were more respondents who thought The Cochrane Library could help them in practice (58%) than those who heard about The Cochrane Library (30%). Only 20% of the respondents heard about the initiative for the establishment of the Croatian branch of The Cochrane Collaboration. Family physicians had significantly lower level of awareness, knowledge, and use of EBM and The Cochrane Library than physicians from university hospitals.


CONCLUSIONS
There is low awareness about EBM and The Cochrane Library among physicians in Croatia, which creates a need for educational interventions about EBM for the benefit of health care in Croatia.
Novak
Katarina
K
Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Center Split, University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia.
Mirić
Dino
D
Jurin
Ana
A
Vukojević
Katarina
K
Aljinović
Jure
J
Carić
Ana
A
Marinović Guić
Maja
M
Poljicanin
Ana
A
Kosta
Vana
V
Rako
Dalibora
D
Marusic
Ana
A
Marusić
Matko
M
Puljak
Livia
L
D000328:Adult; D017523:Croatia; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D046609:Libraries, Digital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008505:Medical Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D008875:Middle Aged; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'
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