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 < 0.05). 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.