Barriers Faced by Medical and Dental House-Officer During Research in Twin Cities of Pakistan

Abstract

Objective: To determine the research activities and perceived barriers among house officers working in different institutions in Rawalpindi/ Islamabad.
 Study Design: Cross-sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Private and Government Hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad Pakistan, from May to Oct 2019.
 Methodology: A questionnaire based on thirteen questions with close-ended answers was administered to house officers at different dental hospitals in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to observe the attitudes toward research and perceived difficulties in doing research.
 Results: A total of 126 participants with the mean age of 24.26±2.192 years participated in the study. Out of 126, 68(58.3%) participants showed research interest, and 86(68.25%) participants reported no previous experience with research. In addition, barriers/difficulties in the research were noted regarding personal interests, funding, future job commitment and the data collection process.
 Conclusions: Within the limitations of this study, it is concluded that the barriers identified in this study need to be addressed in order to enhance students' participation in research and improve the quality of research done in our country: these barriers such as lack of interest, lack of funding, poor availability of research mentors and proper awareness should be removed. Amendments may be required in the dental undergraduate curriculum to overcome these barriers.