Evidence-Based Medicine: .

OBJECTIVES

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) provides a systematic method for navigating an extensive repository of information and making well-informed judgements regarding patient care. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical knowledge, attitudes and practices related to EBM among medical students and interns in Oman and to identify gaps between general awareness and comprehension.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted from September 2023 to February 2024 at Sultan Qaboos University. An online survey incorporating the Noor Evidence-Based Medicine Questionnaire was used to evaluate knowledge, attitudes and practices related to EBM. Responses were scored using a 5-point Likert scale.

RESULTS

A total of 230 medical students and interns completed the survey (response rate = 46%; the optimal sample size was determined to be 218 participants). The participants' mean age was 24.2 ± 1.5 years, with the majority being female (n = 124, 53.9%). Most participants (n = 191, 83%) indicated having previously received EBM training. Overall, participants demonstrated poor levels of EBM-related knowledge (mean percent score: 53.3 ± 5.7%), moderate attitudes (63.5 ± 7.6%) and poor practices (35.3 ± 7.4%). Specifically, 85.7% demonstrated moderate levels of EBM-related knowledge, 71.3% revealed neutral attitudes and 60% reported fair practices. No significant relationships were observed between prior EBM training history and knowledge, attitude or practice scores. However, a significant association was found between the knowledge domain and the level of study ( = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

The study's findings highlight the deficiencies in the current understanding of EBM among Omani medical students and interns. Further studies should investigate specific aspects such as the hours, topics and teaching methodologies used to provide EBM instruction. This will help identify gaps and devise mechanisms to improve knowledge retention.