title: Perceptions, Perceived Barriers, and Practices of Physicians' towards Evidence-Based Medicine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate physicians' perceptions and practices towards Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) and physicians perceived barriers in one institute of Saudi Arabia.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred seventeen practicing physicians at King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah were included in the study. A validated questionnaire was used for collecting data. The questionnaire had four parts and included questions addressing perceptions and practices about EBM as well as associated variables and barriers to practicing it.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority of the respondents had a positive attitude toward EBM. Only 23.9% of participants reported that they are incorporating EBM into their practice. Knowledge about EBM databases was not good. The most common "regularly" read journal was the New England Journal of Medicine (31.6%), followed by the British Medical Journal (12.0%). Some of the respondents had an understanding and were able to explain to others the technical terms use in EBM such as odds ratio (19.7%), relative risk (22.2%), absolute risk (23.9%) and others. The major perceived barriers to practicing EBM was the lack of free personal time (27.4%), availability and access to information (27.4%), difficulties in involving in whole practice (12.0%) and lack of investment by health authorities (12.8%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The attitude of the practicing doctors towards EBM was good, but knowledge and practice were not up to the mark.
authors.affiliation: Mukhtiar Baig, Ph.D., MHPE, Faculty of Medicine, Rabigh, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mukhtiar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baig
authors.affiliation: Zaid Sayedalamin, House officer, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Zaid
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Sayedalamin
authors.affiliation: Osama Almouteri, House officer, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Almouteri
authors.affiliation: Mohammed Algarni, House officer, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Algarni
authors.affiliation: Hassan Allam, House officer, King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hassan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Allam
keywords: Evidence Based Medicine; Jeddah; Physicians; Saudi Arabia