Table 3.
Respondents’ awareness of, access to and use of research-based evidence
| Source of evidence | Total |
Level of awareness/access/use; no. (%) of respondents |
||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaware |
Aware of but not accessible |
Accessible but never used or read |
Used or read 3–4 times per year or less often |
Used or read about once a month |
Used or read weekly or more often |
|||||||||
| Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | Paper | Online* | |
| Medical textbook | 1392 | 597 | 266 (19.1) | 102 (17.1) | 346 (24.9) | 120 (20.1) | 81 (5.8) | 71 (11.9) | 294 (21.1) | 140 (23.5) | 202 (14.5) | 93 (15.6) | 203 (14.6) | 71 (11.9) |
| Clinical practice guidelines, protocols or decision-support tools | 1378 | 589 | 235 (17.1) | 122 (20.7) | 281 (20.4) | 105 (17.8) | 96 (7.0) | 55 (9.3) | 337 (24.5) | 141 (23.9) | 240 (17.4) | 99 (16.8) | 189 (13.7) | 67 (11.4) |
| Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects | NA | 583 | NA | 325 (55.8) | NA | 86 (14.8) | NA | 76 (13.0) | NA | 57 (9.8) | NA | 29 (5.0) | NA | 10 (1.7) |
| Cochrane Library† | NA | 580 | NA | 316 (54.5) | NA | 104 (17.9) | NA | 68 (11.7) | NA | 60 (10.3) | NA | 23 (4.0) | NA | 9 (1.6) |
| Reproductive Health Library (for family- planning providers only) | NA | 176 | NA | 50 (28.4) | NA | 50 (28.4) | NA | 19 (10.8) | NA | 36 (20.5) | NA | 14 (8.0) | NA | 7 (4.0) |
| Open-access initiatives | ||||||||||||||
| Health InterNetwork Access to Research Initiative (HINARI)‡ | NA | 580 | NA | 356 (61.4) | NA | 89 (15.3) | NA | 67 (11.6) | NA | 35 (6.0) | NA | 20 (3.5) | NA | 13 (2.2) |
| Other | NA | 590 | NA | 223 (37.8) | NA | 114 (19.3) | NA | 76 (12.9) | NA | 103 (17.5) | NA | 47 (8.0) | NA | 27 (4.6) |
| Bibliographic databases | ||||||||||||||
| International (e.g., MEDLINE) | NA | 589 | NA | 221 (37.5) | NA | 104 (17.7) | NA | 71 (12.1) | NA | 103 (17.5) | NA | 45 (7.6) | NA | 45 (7.6) |
| Regional (e.g., LILACS) | NA | 577 | NA | 330 (57.2) | NA | 106 (18.4) | NA | 75 (13.0) | NA | 45 (7.8) | NA | 11 (1.9) | NA | 10 (1.7) |
| Scientific journals from | ||||||||||||||
| High-income countries (e.g., Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine) | 1372 | 590 | 464 (33.8) | 188 (31.9) | 522 (38.1) | 138 (23.4) | 81 (5.9) | 75 (12.7) | 207 (15.1) | 113 (19.2) | 70 (5.1) | 49 (8.3) | 28 (2.0) | 27 (4.6) |
| Own region | 1401 | 590 | 492 (35.1) | 225 (38.1) | 441 (31.5) | 119 (20.2) | 100 (7.1) | 59 (10.0) | 220 (15.7) | 107 (18.1) | 107 (7.6) | 56 (9.5) | 41 (2.9) | 24 (4.1) |
| Own country | 1399 | 590 | 206 (14.7) | 114 (19.3) | 283 (20.2) | 89 (15.1) | 141 (10.1) | 76 (12.9) | 414 (29.6) | 145 (24.6) | 246 (17.6) | 105 (17.8) | 109 (7.8) | 61 (10.3) |
| Articles, reports and reviews from | ||||||||||||||
| Public and not-for-profit health organizations | 1404 | 598 | 214 (15.2) | 116 (19.4) | 307 (21.9) | 79 (13.2) | 147 (10.5) | 63 (10.5) | 471 (33.6) | 186 (31.1) | 204 (14.5) | 114 (19.1) | 61 (4.3) | 40 (6.7) |
| For-profit health organizations | 1391 | 597 | 278 (20.0) | 167 (28.0) | 293 (21.1) | 97 (16.3) | 152 (10.9) | 75 (12.6) | 409 (29.4) | 166 (27.8) | 180 (12.9) | 66 (11.1) | 79 (5.7) | 26 (4.4) |
| Summaries of articles, reports and reviews from public and not-for-profit health organizations | 1379 | 597 | 300 (21.8) | 139 (23.3) | 325 (23.6) | 90 (15.1) | 142 (10.3) | 64 (10.7) | 426 (30.9) | 189 (31.7) | 136 (9.9) | 80 (13.4) | 50 (3.6) | 35 (5.9) |
Note: LILACS = Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature, NA = not applicable.
*
For respondents who had access to the Internet or to a computer with a CD-ROM.
†
The Cochrane Library is available at no charge to residents of Ghana, Laos, Mexico, Senegal and Tanzania.
‡
HINARI provides free national access in Ghana, Laos, Senegal and Tanzania, and low-cost access to institutions in Kazakhstan.