Information Use, Seeking Behaviors, and Barriers to Evidence-Based Information at a Large Teaching Hospital in the UK

Abstract

Abstract Background: To better understand the needs of service users, this study explored the information use and the factors affecting access to evidence-based information by clinicians in a primary care setting. Methods: An online survey was distributed to all staff via SurveyMonkey®. Data were curated in Microsoft Excel and managed using SPSS v26. Graphs were generated using GraphPad PRIMS. Results: Ninety-three per cent of the surveyed clinicians used evidence-based information in practice, primarily for patient care and education. Clinicians employed a range of seeking behaviors to retrieve this information, which varied based on how often this information was needed. The barriers to evidence-based information varied between clinical professions but ‘time’ was the most consistent factor. The belief of evidence-based practice being not part of the job role was the overwhelming factor for not using evidence-based information. Conclusions: The findings of this study are consistent with previous reports describing significant impact of time and access to IT resources on whether search for evidence-based information and provided us with useful insights for improving our services.