The attitudes and beliefs of general practitioners towards clinical practice guidelines: a qualitative study in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of implementing practices based on the best evidence is determined by the limitations and preparedness of the structure and processes of the healthcare system as well as healthcare professionals’ (HCP) levels of knowledge and acceptance. Facilitating implementation of such practices also partly depends on HCPs’ attitudes. METHOD: We investigate the attitudes and beliefs of four groups of physicians in the United Arab Emirates on clinical practice guidelines (CPGs), with a focus on applying revisions to these CPGs in a different setting than the one in which they were developed, and where no locally developed guidelines exist. RESULTS: CPGs were the main source of information for revisions. We identified a rising concern in the applicability of the recommendations, which persists due to a lack of locally developed revisions. Other concerns include the pressures of practice management changes and of coping with the rapid development in resources and the growing demand on its use. Some international and government-endorsed CPGs were still accepted as being the best candidates for adoption. CONCLUSIONS: This group welcomes evidence-based practice and is supported by electronic medical records, structured care programmes, and ongoing quality monitoring. Barriers and facilitators of clinical practice guidelines are discussed and thoughts on effective implementation strategies are considered. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12930-018-0041-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.