BMJ open, Volume 13, Issue 10, 5 1 2023, Pages e073905 What information sources do Dutch medical specialists use in medical decision-making: a qualitative interview study. Weller FS, Hamming JF, Repping S, van Bodegom-Vos L
Objective
To explore what information sources medical specialists currently use to inform their medical decision-making.
Design
Qualitative, semistructured interviews.
Setting and participants
A total of 20 semistructured interviews were conducted with 10 surgeons and 10 internal medicine specialists who work in academic and/or regional hospitals in the Netherlands.
Results
Medical specialists reported that they primarily rely on their general knowledge and experience, rather than actively using information sources. The sources they use to update their knowledge can be categorised into 'scientific publications', 'guidelines or protocols', and 'presentations and meetings'. When medical specialists feel their general knowledge and experience are insufficient, they use three different approaches to find answers in response to clinical questions: consulting a colleague, actively searching the literature and asking someone else to search the literature.
Conclusion
Medical specialists use information sources to update their general knowledge and to find answers to specific clinical questions when they feel their general knowledge and experience are insufficient. An important finding is that medical specialists prefer accessible information sources (eg, consulting colleagues) over existing evidence-based medicine tools.
