Purpose: To compare the extent of using an evidence-based approach in managing upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) among primary care doctors from two different government clinic settings in Malaysia. Method: This is a cross sectional, prospective study carried out in a teaching university primary care centre in Kuala Lumpur (KL) where doctors are constantly exposed to continuing medical education (CME) and seven health clinics in Seremban, Malaysia where doctors have less exposure to CME in the year 2000. Twelve primary care practitioners in KL and 13 in Seremban participated in the study. Each practitioner was asked to record clinical data and prescriptions given to twenty consecutive patients with URTIs using a structured questionnaire for each patient. The extent of usage of an evidence-based approach in managing URTIs among practitioners was assessed
