Family medicine residents, family physicians and family medicine specialists' attitudes and behaviors of using online guidelines

Introduction: Traditional medicine including the individual experience with decision-making behaviour, increasing the health studies, due difficult to track of new information, has given place to evidence-based medicine practices. Evidence- based medicine; at stage of decision making by physicians, is an approach that was created to be integrated with the physicians' experience and patients' elections. Searching accurate and quality information should be a habit to evaluate the patients with the most accurate and current evidence. The fastest and easiest way to achieve this kind of evidence, with the help of technology, are online sources. Our aim in this study, to identify family physicians' attitudes and behaviors of the online sources and reveal the current situation and necessities. Materıal and methods: 102 family medicine residents, family physicians and family medicine specialists participated in this survey from Ankara's central districts Mamak, Çankaya, Etimesgut and Ankara Atatürk Research and Training Hospital and family medicine mail group. Due to incorrect markings on the survey, 2 people were removed from the study and continued to work with 100 people. We applied 22-item questionnaire to participants and data were analyzed with SPSS for Windows 20.0 program. Chi-square test was used for the comparison of qualitative data between groups. Spearman correlation analysis was used for any ordinal data or the groups correlation analysis with the nonsporting parametric conditions. Accuracy rate was presumed p<0,05 when result was critizing. Our study was found ethical and established in 16.03.2016 by Yıldırım Beyazıt University School of Medicine Clinical Research Ethics Committee with the decision no 95. A written permission was taken by Public Health Agency Of Turkey. Results: In our study, 100 physicians participated and 36% (n = 36) were male, 64% (n = 64) were female. Looking at the average daily number of patients with the highest number of physicians (37%) indicated that they see 41-60 patients in a day. 82% of physicians indicated that they use online guidelines. The frequency of physicians' using online guidelines found as 31.1% at 1-2 times per month. There was insignificiant negative correlation at between the average daily number of patients and using online guidelines frequency was insignificant negative correlation and this result was not statistically significant (r = -0.12 p = 0.28). There was insignificiant negative correlation at between the profession time of physicians and using online guidelines, and this result was not statistically significant (r = -0.024 p = 0.83). In our study, among to be or not to be major of family medicine were not statistically significant (p = 0.764). About changing mind in the decision about the patient with reached the current information; 74.4% of the physicians (n = 61) have responded as "sometimes". As the reason for not to use online guidelines found that they use existing printed guidelines with up to 66.7%. 36% of physicians said that they sometimes follow Turkish Society of Cardiology national guidelines, Turkey Endocrinology and Metabolism Society guidelines and Turkish Thoracic Society guidelines. 60% of physicians stated that those guidelines applicable at primary health care. 89% of physicians said that there isn't guidelines for family medicine in Turkey. 63% of physicians said that the evidence-based medicine doesn't ignore the physician experience. In our study, PubMed is the most used online resource (%87). Conclusion: In outpatient, during medical decision-making, it is important that to use fast, reliable and easy access to resources. Therefore, according to the needs of our country, it is necessary to establish and promotion updated, easily accessible guidelines. Also, by eliminating the deficit in this area, available resources should be provided to physicians working in primary care. Keywords: evidence-based medicine, online, database