Awareness of Academic Staff Physicians with Principles of Evidence-Based Medicine and its Application in Daily Practice

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate familiarity of academic staff physicians with EBM and its application in daily practice. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 with the participation of academic staff physicians of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences in Iran. Data were collected using CEBM questionnaire and were analyzed with SPSS 20 software, using T-test and Spearman correlation statistical tests. Results: Out of 156 academic physicians, 97 (62.2%) completed the questionnaire, 62 (63.9%) were male, and 33 (34%) had participated in EBM workshops. Mean score of knowledge and attitude questions were 14.7± 3.9 and 3.8± 0.5 respectively. There was no significant difference between males and females in knowledge and attitudes (P >0.05). Physicians who participated in EBM workshops had higher scores in knowledge (P <0.05) but not in attitude (P= 0.06). Positive and significant correlation between age (r = 0.32, P = 0.001) and teaching experience (r = 0.28, P = 0.005) was observed with knowledge and attitude about EBM. 69.1% of participants used very little or not at all EBM in their daily practice. The most important obstacles were lack of time (49.5%) and specific information (22.7%). More than 65% of physicians tended to use EBM in their daily practice. Conclusion: The academic staff physicians of Hamadan, Iran had a positive attitude towards evidence-based medicine, but did not have enough information in this regard. Accordingly, its application in daily clinical work was relatively low. Holding EBM workshops is essential to increase awareness about EBM