Pattern of reading journals among primary care doctors in Bahrain

Abstract EN

Objective : The aim of this paper is to measure the frequency of reading medical journals among primary care doctors in Bahrain and their preferences.

Design : Questionnaire Setting : Bahrain government health centers.

Methods : A self-administered questionnaire was distributed among a sample of primary care doctors, including, family physicians, general practitioners (GP's) and students of family physician residency program (FPRP-Residents).

The questionnaire was distributed during the months of March and April 2004.

Doctors were requested to answer questions on the frequency of reading medical journals and their preferences.

Results : Fifty-four (90 %) responded from a total of 60.

Thirty-two (59.3 %) have subscriptions to journals and 22 (40.7 %) have no subscriptions.

Number of subscriptions is noticed to increase with age.

Thirty (55.5 %) of the responding doctors read their last article within the last 6 months, and 15 (27.7 %) either did not remember or they read it more than a year ago.

Thirty-one (57.4 %) favors reading articles on the Internet, while 23 (42.6 %) prefer reading print journals.

Younger age group tends to prefer using the internet to read articles.

Doctors were also found to prefer reading international journals in comparison with local medical journals.

Conclusion : Thirty-two (59.3 %) of respondents have subscriptions to medical journals whether on the Internet or as hard copy.

Number of subscriptions tends to increase with age.

Doctors in this sample prefer reading articles on the Internet, and read International more than local Journals.