Original scientific paper
Awareness and Use of Evidence-based Medicine Databases and Cochrane Library Among Physicians in Croatia
Katarina Novak
; Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Center Split, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Dino Mirić
; University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia
Ana Jurin
; Department of Anesthesiology, Čakovec County Hospital, Čakovec, Croatia
Katarina Vukojević
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Jure Aljinović
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Ana Čarić
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Maja Marinović Guić
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Ana Poljičanin
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Vana Košta
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Dalibora Rako
; Croatian Branch of Italian Cochrane Center, Split, Croatia
Ana Marušić
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Matko Marušić
; Department of Research in Medicine and Health, University of Split School of Medicine, Croatia
Livia Puljak
orcid.org/0000-0002-8467-6061
; Department of Anatomy, Histiology and Embryology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia
Abstract
Aim 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.
Conclusion 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.
Keywords
evidence-based medicine; awareness; The Cochrane Library; physicians
Hrčak ID:
53521
URI
Publication date:
15.4.2010.
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