Explaining the concept of evidence-based medicine based on the academic and medical experiences of the clinical faculty members: A qualitative study

Abstract

Background: Although evidence-based medicine is an important part of recent research attempts to reform the healthcare system, it requires to be evaluated in real situations of the society and patients. The current study was conducted to explain the concept of evidence-based medicine according to the academic and medical experiences of the clinical faculty members of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences.Methods: This study was designed as a qualitative phenomenology. The statistical society comprised of the clinical faculty members of Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences. The participants were selected through purposeful sampling. The study sample was determined by the sufficiency principle. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The obtained data were analyzed by Collaizzi’s model at the time of data collection.Results: Three major themes were extracted from the analysis of data, including unawareness and lack of use (unaware of the concepts, lack of use, referring to the colleagues, test prescription), conscious or unconscious use (use of journals, academic sites, aware of the processes) and beliefs (believing in the necessity and not believing the necessity).Conclusion: A regular educational planning aiming to change the behavior is required to change the behavior of the clinical faculty members from an inactive state to an active use of evidence-based medicine and to change negative beliefs to the positive ones. Moreover, providing appropriate facilities and infrastructure and removing the obstacles of evidence-based medicine can be effective in this regard.