Applying the results of a systematic review in general practice

Objective: To assess how general practitioners might interpret and apply th e results of a systematic review relevant to general practice. Design: Cross-sectional postal survey of general practitioners in August 19 97. Participants: 51 general practitioners in the Southern Division of General Practice in Adelaide and 11 professors or heads of departments of general p ractice. Main outcome measures:Extent to which comments on the implications for prac tice and implications for research coincided with the evidence presented in a systematic review of antibiotics for the treatment of acute otitis media in children; and reported probability that respondents would prescribe ant ibiotics in three brief case scenarios. Results: There was considerable variation in the comments made by general p ractitioners on the implications of the review for clinical practice. After reading the review, respondents with training in critical appraisal were m ore likely to state that children with acute otitis media would usually rec over spontaneously and reported a lower probability of prescribing antibiot ics in two of the three case scenarios. Conclusions: Providing systematic reviews is not sufficient for the results of such evidence to be translated:into clinical practice. There is an asso ciation between critical appraisal skills and the application of evidence-b ased practice.