Purpose:
It is anticipated that comparative effectiveness research (CER) will change how physicians incorporate evidence into medical practice. The purpose of this study was to obtain physician reports of information sources.
Methods:
Data were extracted from two surveys. Both surveys utilized a 4-point Likert Scale to measure how often physicians reported consulting a range of information sources. The first survey was distributed to physicians at conferences between June and November 2011. This survey asked how often physicians consult various sources of information to inform their “clinical decisions.” The second survey was administered through a web-based application and was collected from medical school faculty between July 2011 and August 2012. This survey collected information on the frequency with which physicians obtain information regarding their “clinical work and productivity” from alternate sources and how useful they found such information.
Result:
The surveys revealed similar information about the frequency with which physicians seek information related to clinical work and decisions from alternate sources. Both survey groups consulted with colleagues and other physicians much more frequently than obtaining information from journals, CME courses, websites, manufacturer representatives, or other sources (Table 1). The respondents to the first survey also found information from colleagues very useful more than 50% of the time, only exceeded by journal information which was very useful for 57% of physicians, but accessed often by only 36% of respondents versus 49% obtaining information from colleagues (p=.006).
Conclusion:
Colleagues are the most common information source used by physicians to inform their clinical decision. The ability of CER to impact health care will likely depend on the degree to which it is broadly disseminated to physician communities, perhaps through the use of opinion leaders and champions.
Clinical Decisions
|
| Clinical Work & Productivity | ||||||||
Sources of Information (1st Survey)
| Often* (%)
| N
| Very Useful (%)
| N
|
| Sources of Information (2nd Survey)
| Always* (%)
| N
| ||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ||
Colleagues
| 48.8
| 300
| 52.1
| 295
|
| Other Physicians
| 60.0
| 45
| ||
Journals
| 36.3
| 228
| 56.8
| 297
|
| Journals
| 17.8
| 45
| ||
Online CME
| 25.1
| 275
| 6.3
| 101
|
| CME
| 8.9
| 45
| ||
In Person CME
| 5.6
| 100
| 11.6
| 100
|
| |||||
Medical Websites | 14.5 | 88
| 14.9 | 107
|
| Internet
| 6.7
| 45
| ||
Drug Reps.
| 5.9
| 289
| 6.3
| 295
|
| Drug Co.
| 0
| 45
| ||
Other
| 5.2
| 44
| -
| -
|
| Other
| 2.2
| 45
| ||
* Fourth item on 4-point Likert Scale
See more of: The 35th Annual Meeting of the Society for Medical Decision Making