[Evidence-based medicine from the office-based physicians' point of view: a representative survey on its acceptance...

In 2002 a curriculum on evidence-based medicine (EbM) has been developed and published in Germany on behalf of the national statutory health care administrations. Planning and guiding medical education in EbM requires an empirically-based knowledge of the level of awareness and acceptance of EbM as well as specific educational needs and organisational preferences. In Germany, there is no such systematic knowledge, particularly in regard to general practitioners. A random sample of 900 office-based physicians in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein, stratified by medical specialties, was surveyed by means of a postal questionnaire. After two reminders the response rate was 65.6%. Respondents mainly welcomed EbM, in terms of their own daily work, for the benefit of the patient and the healthcare system as a whole. Integrating EbM into their daily practice and possible restrictions to therapeutic freedom were considered the most serious problems of EbM. 46.8% of the respondents were interested in EbM training. They preferred a rather low-cost 2-day weekend seminar. Office-based physicians were found to be sufficiently motivated to participate in EbM courses, which is in marked contrast to the actual participation rate being rather low in Schleswig-Holstein. The training should primarily focus on integrating EbM into daily routines. In public presentations efforts should be directed towards promoting the way in which EbM enhances professional autonomy and therapeutic freedom.