Attitudes and barriers towards conducting research amongst primary care physicians in Bahrain: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

BackgroundResearch in primary care is essential for disease diagnosis, management and prevention in relation to the individuals, families and the community. This research aims to study the attitude of primary care physicians towards conducting research in Bahrain and to identify the main barriers encountered during research.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 200 randomly selected primary care physicians registered in Ministry of Health affiliated primary healthcare centers in Bahrain. A self-administered validated questionnaire was adopted and used for data collection. Research data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23.ResultsPrimary care physicians had a positive attitude towards conducting research with a total mean score (SD) of 4.47(0.65) (on a scale from 1 to 5 with higher scores indicating more positive attitudes). The total mean score (SD) for barriers encountered by physicians during research was 3.34 (0.80). Insufficient research allotted time (76.5%), insufficient financial support (63%), lack of financial incentives (51%) and lack of statistical support (50%) were major barriers. Physicians designation and board certificate were significantly associated with attitudes and barriers towards research (P-value < 0.05).ConclusionThe majority or primary care physicians had positive attitudes towards conducting research. The major difficulties faced by physicians in conducting research are: Insufficient research allotted time, lack of financial incentives and inadequate statistical support. The study addressed a gap in building research capacity which should be embraced by many institutions through partnership and collaboration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12875-019-0911-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…However, the ndings from other previous studies indicate a low self -assessed research capacity among nurses (30,31) and a need for training in research methods among nurses and other HCPs (30,32,33). In alignment with our study ndings, lack of research resources like time and funding were found to be the most commonly perceived barriers to undertaking research among practitioners in the UK ,USA and Bahrain (28,29,34), increased paper work and disruption to work ows (34) Overall, the perceived importance on the speci c tasks was positively correlated with the overall perceived performance of tasks related to RMNH services. Similarly, ndings of a study in South Africa indicated that, the more comprehensively professional nurses were trained, the more competent they felt, and they expressed more negativity towards their work if they perceived they were inadequately trained (36).…”

“…time, money, information, equipment) and identifying research needs and designing locally relevant research were among the topics that received the highest ratings. This ndings contradicts a common stereotype on lack of interest for research among clinicians reported in United Kingdom and Bahrain (28,29). However, the ndings from other previous studies indicate a low self -assessed research capacity among nurses (30,31) and a need for training in research methods among nurses and other HCPs (30,32,33).…”

“…and lack of statistical support(29). Among the motivating factors for participating in research included providing bene ts to patients, hoping to create knowledge relevant for patient care, nding solutions to di cult health problems and as an opportunity for professional development among clinical staff(34) and research supportive environment such as a research mentor(35).…”

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“…The participants in this study had a remarkably positive attitude for CTs with a mean score of 7.07±1.82 which is comparable with studies done elsewhere [21]. It is evident from the study that the participants were personally motivated to conduct CTs.…”

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“…In general, the barriers focused on logistics, research infrastructure, human resources capacity, support and funding, culture, and political economy. Indeed, studies within and outside the region noted that logistical difficulties like insufficient time allotted to research prevent physicians from engaging in research activities [ 7 20 21 ]. Further, establishing strong research infrastructure, including data production and cancer registration, is essential for developing national and regional cancer control plans.…”