The Journal of the Egyptian Public Health Association
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J Egypt Public Health Assoc · Sep 2015
Critical thinking and attitude of physicians toward evidence-based medicine in Alexandria, Egypt.
Evidence-based practice is important for developing countries and is expected to thrive in a questioning culture. Experienced physicians differ in the making of clinical judgements, which are often not based on evidence. Although this topic is of paramount importance to the quality of care provided in the university hospitals in Alexandria, little research has been done about attitudes towards evidence-based medicine (EBM), and the extent of physicians' skills to access and interpret evidence. ⋯ This study has identified a significant relation between critical thinking skills and having a positive attitude towards EBM among physicians in the university hospitals in Alexandria. The study supported the hypothesis that strategies that encouraging critical thinking in medical education could improve the attitude of physicians towards EBM. Adopting teaching methods that encourage critical thinking in medical education as well as including the concepts and principals of critical appraisal of scientific research in the syllabus of both undergraduate and postgraduate medical students are recommended.