Awareness of Medical Research among the Resident Doctors in a Tertiary Care Hospital in India

The aim of this study was to study the awareness of medical research (MR) among resident doctors in a tertiary care hospital.

This is a descriptive and cross-sectional study conducted for 30 days among the residents of paraclinical, surgical, and nonsurgical specialties, based on a customized self-prepared questionnaire. Convenience sampling was done. Undergraduates, interns, and faculty members were excluded from the study. Scoring was given from 1 to 10 based on their responses to the ten knowledge-based questions in the questionnaire. Data regarding the publication of research articles if any, obstacles in conducting research, and suggestions to improve the research awareness were recorded. Descriptive analysis of the data was done. Based on the scoring, they were divided into three groups: below average if the score is <5, average if the score is 5-7, and above average if the score is 8-10.

A total of 364 resident doctors were included in the study. They were divided into three groups which include paraclinical (n = 56, 15%), surgical (n = 132, 36%), and nonsurgical branches (n = 176, 48%). Scores for the three levels, i.e., below average, average, and above average were 0, 39% (n = 140), and 61% (n = 224), respectively. Forty-eight percent of participants had a publication. Obstacles for conducting the research included lack of time (55%), lack of interest (29%), lack of guidance (35%), and lack of material and teaching (45%). The majority (n = 300, 82%) suggested that conducting more interactive sessions or teaching programs may help in improving the awareness on research.

Most of the resident doctors had a fair knowledge of MR but its application into practice was limited. Including research as a part of the medical curriculum, conducting educational programs or conferences oriented on research may improve the awareness about research.