Knowledge and attitudes of Oman Medical Specialty Board residents towards Evidence-Based Medicine

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) residents towards Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted on all OMSB residents through a self-administered online questionnaire between October 2012 and March 2013. An electronic survey was designed to identify and determine residents' knowledge and attitudes toward the use of EBM. Results: The survey was completed by 93 (21%) OMSB residents, 76 (82%) of whom took part in continuing education courses and 50 (54%) belonged to professional practice-oriented organizations. On average, the residents were reportedly involved in patient care for approximately 70% (Standard Deviation [SD] 17%) of their time, while 14% (SD 12%) participated in research activities. The results showed that 53 respondents (57%) were competent users of medical search engines compared to 23 residents (25%) who rated their skills as neutral. Sixteen percent of the respondents strongly agreed and 46% only agreed that the facility supports the use of current research in practice. Fourteen percent strongly agreed and fifty-three percent only agreed that the foundation of EBM is part of OMSB academic preparation. On the other hand, 17% of the respondents thought that insufficient time is always a barrier against EBM, while another 27% perceived insufficient time as a usual barrier. The lack of information resources was reported to always be a barrier in 11% of the respondents while 32% thought that it usually acts as a barrier. Conclusion: Time constraints and skills in EBM were found to be the two major obstacles. This study was, however, limited by the low response rate of the survey; thus larger studies with a previously validated questionnaire should be conducted in the future.