Knowledge, attitude and practice of medical teachers in Chennai towards research in medical sciences - A survey

 

 

Abstract              Background: Research has become an inevitable part of medical practice and it is important to effectively translate research to practice. Academicians play a crucial role in encouraging quality medical research in various disciplines. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the awareness of academicians in medical field towards sound research principles. Methods: This study included 100 medical teachers working in a teaching hospital in Chennai city. A structured questionnaire consisting of 10 questions, each with 4 options was administered to the participants, who were divided into two groups based on number of indexed publications. Results: The primary role of an academician was considered to be teaching, research and patient care. Self interest was opted as the biggest motivation for research. Lack of funding, infrastructure and interest were reported to be the limiting factors in conducting quality research. Indexing and impact factor were opted as the important considerations in choosing a journal for publication. Basic medical sciences were considered to offer greater scope for research. Cross sectional study was considered to be the toughest form of research. 50% of the participants had never accessed articles from the Cochrane database. There was a statistically significant difference in the responses given by the two groups of participants. Conclusion: In our study, the attitude component was found to be satisfactory while the knowledge component needed considerable improvement. Continuing medical education programmes and workshops could help all medical teachers to have a sound knowledge of the fundamental research principles.

Key Word: Medical Research, Publications, Impact factor, Indexing