TY - JOUR
T1 - Information demands of occupational health physicians and their attitude towards evidence-based medicine
AU - Schaafsma, Frederieke
AU - Hulshof, Carel
AU - van Dijk, Frank
AU - Verbeek, Jos
PY - 2004
Y1 - 2004
N2 - Objectives. This study assessed the extent and nature of information demands among occupational health physicians and their attitude towards the application of evidence-based medicine in occupational health. Methods. A questionnaire survey was carried out among a random sample of 159 physicians practicing occupational medicine in The Netherlands. The questionnaire investigated the type and number of questions encountered in daily practice, the actions taken in response, the physicians' experience in using scientific databases on the Internet, and their attitude towards evidence-based medicine. Results. The occupational health physicians' questions concerned medical, legal, and rehabilitation topics in particular. In pursuing answers to their questions, they generally chose to contact colleagues. Scientific databases were not consulted very often, although, in general, the attitude towards evidence-based medicine was positive. In addition to known barriers for practicing evidence-based medicine, occupational health physicians perceive a lack of scientific evidence in their field. The extensiveness of the field of knowledge in occupational health care was not regarded as an obstacle to their application of evidence-based medicine. Conclusions. Occupational health physicians have a demand for information on a broad range of topics, and, in most cases, their attitude towards evidence-based medicine is fairly positive. Besides education and training in evidence-based medicine, access to the Internet and the presence of a good knowledge infrastructure would help occupational health physicians use evidence-based medicine.
AB - Objectives. This study assessed the extent and nature of information demands among occupational health physicians and their attitude towards the application of evidence-based medicine in occupational health. Methods. A questionnaire survey was carried out among a random sample of 159 physicians practicing occupational medicine in The Netherlands. The questionnaire investigated the type and number of questions encountered in daily practice, the actions taken in response, the physicians' experience in using scientific databases on the Internet, and their attitude towards evidence-based medicine. Results. The occupational health physicians' questions concerned medical, legal, and rehabilitation topics in particular. In pursuing answers to their questions, they generally chose to contact colleagues. Scientific databases were not consulted very often, although, in general, the attitude towards evidence-based medicine was positive. In addition to known barriers for practicing evidence-based medicine, occupational health physicians perceive a lack of scientific evidence in their field. The extensiveness of the field of knowledge in occupational health care was not regarded as an obstacle to their application of evidence-based medicine. Conclusions. Occupational health physicians have a demand for information on a broad range of topics, and, in most cases, their attitude towards evidence-based medicine is fairly positive. Besides education and training in evidence-based medicine, access to the Internet and the presence of a good knowledge infrastructure would help occupational health physicians use evidence-based medicine.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=4444262006&origin=inward
UR - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15458017
U2 - https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.802
DO - https://doi.org/10.5271/sjweh.802
M3 - Article
C2 - 15458017
SN - 0355-3140
VL - 30
SP - 327
EP - 330
JO - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
JF - Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment and Health
IS - 4
ER -