Evidence-Based Medical Practice in Developing Countries: The Case Study of Iran Publisher Pubmed



Mozafarpour S¹ ; Sadeghizadeh A² ; Kabiri P³ ; Taheri H⁴ ; Attaei M⁴ ; Khalighinezhad N¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice Published:2011

Abstract

Rationale, aims and objectives Attitude towards and knowledge of various groups of health care providers regarding evidence-based medicine (EBM) have been assessed worldwide. Also, barriers to practising EBM have been found to be different in different countries. However, there is little evidence on the place of EBM among some developing countries, like Iran. The aim of this study was to explore the current status of EBM among different medical specialists in Iran. Methods This cross-sectional study was conducted from August 2007 until March 2009 on a sample of 181 doctors in different medical specialties practising in Isfahan, Iran, not including faculty members. Attitude towards EBM and the barriers in practice and awareness of technical terms were investigated through a self-administered questionnaire. Results Less than half (41%) of the doctors reported they use EBM in their practice. They believed EBM improves the quality of health care services (70%); however, their understanding of the technical terms used in EBM was poor. The barrier to practising EBM identified by most respondents (74.3%) was the lack of EBM training courses in their academic curriculum. Conclusion Despite the general welcoming attitude of all groups of specialists, they had insufficient knowledge and inadequate use of EBM in their practice. Designing and conducting EBM training courses and its integration into the general practitioners' training curriculum should be considered. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.