gms | German Medical Science

Background: Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are integral part of health care and currently using in many countries. Moreover, CPGs can be an important tool of successful teaching of evidence-based medicine (EBM) at undergraduate level. However, in Tajikistan EBM isn't an obligatory component of undergraduate education and medical faculty's attitude toward CPGs is not investigated previously.

Objectives: The main objectives of the study were to explore medical faculty's attitude towards EBM and CPGs and to identify the main barriers to EBM implementation in clinical practice.

Methods: The study enrolled 92 Tajik State Medical University faculty. Faculty's attitudes were assessed using 29-item anonymous questionnaire in January 2012.

Results: Overall, medical faculty were mainly positive about EBM (94.6%) and CPG's (91.3%). Most of respondents perceive guidelines as a useful information resource (91.3%) and supposed that CPG's should be used for evidence-based clinical training. The major perceived barriers to EBM implementation in clinical practice were lack of EBM skills (59.8%), inadequate knowledge of English language (58.9%), lack of resources (48.9%) and no control over the practice of evidence (39.1%).

Discussion: The absolute majority of the respondents expressed a positive attitude towards EBM and CPGs and supposes that CPG can be an important source of modern clinical information for medical students. To teach medical faculty advanced EBM skills is essential.

Implications for guideline developers/users: It's necessary to use widely evidence based CPGs as an educational tool to teach EBM and modern clinical decision making.