Evidence-based Health Care Continuing Education Seminars Improve Academic Staff Knowledge and Attitudes in Saudi Arabia

OBJECTIVE To assess the influence of a monthly evidence-based health care (EBHC) seminar series on academic staff knowledge, attitudes, and barriers regarding EBHC practice. METHODOLOGY All academic staff in the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS), King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, were sent a validated web-based survey. The survey contained 35 items regarding 3 domains: knowledge (14 items), attitudes (11 items), and barrier factors (10 items). A 5-point Likert scale was used and descriptive statistics were generated for demographic data and participants' responses to each item. RESULTS Among academic staff at CAMS, 79 of 198 (40%) completed the survey. Among the survey respondents, 58% had attended at least one EBHC seminar. Those who had attended at least one seminar had better knowledge of 8 items compared with those who did not attend any seminars (P<.05). Academic staff members who attended at least one seminar were more likely to have a positive attitude regarding EBHC. Insufficient time was the only factor that significantly differed between the 2 groups, serving as a barrier to EBHC practice. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that EBHC seminars may improve the abilities and skills of academic staff for using EBHC.