ArticleCureus2026
Physicians' Drug Information-Seeking Behavior at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Western Region: A Cross-Sectional Study.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
BACKGROUND/
objectivesThis study aimed to evaluate drug information-seeking behaviors, preferred sources, perceived reliability, and related challenges among physicians at King Abdulaziz Medical City, Western Region (KAMC-WR), Saudi Arabia.
methodsIn this cross-sectional study, we surveyed physicians at KAMC-WR, a tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia's Western Region, from October 15 to December 15, 2025. Data were collected via a validated, self-administered online questionnaire adapted from prior studies. The survey evaluated demographics, drug information needs, seeking behaviors, challenges, and the reliability of sources. Physicians were categorized as passive or active information seekers based on the number of clinical situations in which they sought drug-related information, with passive seekers reporting searches in zero to one clinical situation and active seekers reporting searches in two or more clinical situations. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square/Fisher's exact tests, the Mann-Whitney U test, and logistic regression in SPSS version 28. A p-value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
resultsAmong 148 responding physicians, most searched for drug information daily or weekly. Frequently sought details included dosage regimens (146, 98.6%), adverse effects (138, 93.2%), and contraindications (138, 93.2%). Websites and clinical pharmacists were the most commonly used sources, while mobile apps were preferred for accessibility. Key challenges included polypharmacy management, source variability, and restricted subscription access. Specialists and consultants demonstrated higher odds of being active seekers compared with residents (adjusted OR=12.5, 95% CI: 1.66-93.89, p=0.014).
conclusionsIn this study conducted at KAMC-WR, physicians frequently sought drug information during routine clinical practice, particularly through digital resources, but encountered access and workflow barriers. Improving institutional drug information resources and pharmacist collaboration could promote safer and more effective prescribing.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.