Competence in Evidence-Based Medicine among Residents of Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran

Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is a systematic review process for evaluating and using results of the best clinical trials for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. It must comply with the values and specific circumstances of each patient in need of treatment. Since very few studies have examined the competence of different groups of medical professionals in this area, this study was conducted to assess the competence of residents in EBM. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on 90 residents from 4 main clinical departments in Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Iran, in 2013. The data collection tool was the Berlin Standard Questionnaire. The samples were selected using census method and data were analyzed using SPSS software. Among the participants in the study 42.2% were male and 57.8% female with the mean age of 31.17 ± 3.32 years. Based on the results of the study, residents had little competence in the field of evidence-based medicine their scores ranged from 0 to 8 and their mean score was 2.54 ± 1.43 of a total of 15. Considering the mean score and low competence of residents in evidence-based medicine, short-term programs by the relevant departments seem essential to rapidly promote knowledge of evidence-based medicine.