A Qualitative Study of Physicians' Various Uses of Biomedical Research

Objective
To​ ​investigate​ ​the​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​physicians’​ ​use​ ​of​ ​research​ ​evidence​ ​in​ ​experimental​ ​conditions​ ​of open​ ​access​ ​to​ ​inform​ ​training​ ​and​ ​policy.
Design
This​ ​qualitative​ ​study​ ​was​ ​a​ ​component​ ​of​ ​a​ ​larger​ ​mixed-methods​ ​initiative​ ​that​ ​provided​ ​336 physicians​ ​with​ ​relatively​ ​complete​ ​access​ ​to​ ​research​ ​literature​ ​via​ ​PubMed​ ​and​ ​UpToDate,​ ​for one​ ​year​ ​via​ ​an​ ​online​ ​portal,​ ​with​ ​their​ ​usage​ ​recorded​ ​in​ ​web​ ​logs.​ ​Using​ ​a​ ​semi-structured interview​ ​protocol,​ ​a​ ​subset​ ​of​ ​38​ ​physician​ ​participants​ ​were​ ​interviewed​ ​about​ ​their​ ​use​ ​of research​ ​articles​ ​in​ ​general​ ​and​ ​were​ ​probed​ ​about​ ​their​ ​reasons​ ​for​ ​accessing​ ​specific​ ​articles​ ​as identified​ ​through​ ​their​ ​web​ ​logs.​ ​Transcripts​ ​were​ ​analyzed​ ​using​ ​a​ ​general​ ​inductive​ ​approach.
Setting
Physician​ ​participants​ ​were​ ​recruited​ ​from​ ​and​ ​registered​ ​in​ ​the​ ​United​ ​States​ ​(U.S.).
Participants
Thirty-eight​ ​physicians​ ​from​ ​16​ ​U.S.​ ​states,​ ​engaged​ ​in​ ​22​ ​medical​ ​specialties,​ ​possessing​ ​more than​ ​one​ ​year​ ​of​ ​experience​ ​post-residency​ ​training​ ​participated.
Results
Twenty-six​ ​participants​ ​attested​ ​to​ ​the​ ​value​ ​of​ ​consulting​ ​research​ ​literature​ ​within​ ​the​ ​context of​ ​the​ ​study​ ​by​ ​making​ ​reference​ ​to​ ​their​ ​roles​ ​as​ ​clinicians,​ ​educators,​ ​researchers,​ ​learners, administrators,​ ​and​ ​advocates.​ ​The​ ​physicians​ ​reported​ ​previously​ ​encountering​ ​what​ ​they experienced​ ​as​ ​a​ ​prohibitive​ ​paywall​ ​barrier​ ​to​ ​the​ ​research​ ​literature​ ​and​ ​other​ ​frustrations​ ​with the​ ​nature​ ​of​ ​information​ ​systems,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​the​ ​need​ ​for​ ​passwords.
Conclusions
The​ ​findings,​ ​against​ ​the​ ​backdrop​ ​of​ ​growing​ ​open​ ​access​ ​to​ ​biomedical​ ​research,​ ​indicate​ ​that​ ​a minority​ ​of​ ​physicians,​ ​at​ ​least​ ​initially,​ ​is​ ​likely​ ​to​ ​seek​ ​out​ ​and​ ​use​ ​research​ ​and​ ​do​ ​so​ ​in​ ​a variety​ ​of​ ​common​ ​roles.​ ​Physicians’​ ​use​ ​of​ ​research​ ​in​ ​these​ ​roles​ ​has​ ​not​ ​traditionally​ ​been​ ​part of​ ​their​ ​training​ ​nor​ ​part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​considerations​ ​for​ ​open​ ​access​ ​policies.​ ​The​ ​findings​ ​have implications​ ​for​ ​educational​ ​and​ ​policy​ ​initiatives​ ​directed​ ​toward​ ​increasing​ ​the​ ​effectiveness​ ​of this​ ​access​ ​to​ ​and​ ​use​ ​of​ ​research​ ​in​ ​improving​ ​the​ ​quality​ ​of​ ​health​ ​care.

Maggio,​ ​L.,​ ​Moorhead,​ ​L.,​ ​&​ ​Willinsky,​ ​J.​ ​(2017).​ ​​A​ ​qualitative​ ​study​ ​of​ ​physicians’​ ​varied​ ​uses​ ​of biomedical​ ​research.​ ​​BMJ Open​ ​(British​ ​Medical​ ​Journal),​ ​6(11).
http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/6/11/e012846