Access to information for evidence-based decision-making from the perspective of Municipal Health Secretaries in the State of Parana, Brazil, 2014

The study aimed to identify information sources for decision-making and barriers to access in the use of scientific journals by Municipal Health Secretaries in the State of Parana, Brazil. Study participants included Secretaries of Health from 181 municipalities in the year 2014. Interviews focused on the frequency of consultation of resources for obtaining evidence, including from scientific journals. 40.9% of the participants were 18 to 39 years of age (mean age was 43 +/- 10.2 years; median 42 years). More than two-thirds (69.1%) had held the office of health secretary for less than five years. The majority were males (56.4%), and only one in three had a graduate degree in public health. The main sources of information were "non-scientific periodicals" (76.2%), "print/online journals" (71.4%), and "Ministry of Health guidelines" (71.3%). The main barriers to use of scientific journals were "lack of time for reading" (72.9%), "periodical's high cost" (69.1%), and "difficulty in identifying the best periodicals" (63.5%). The main information sources were non-scientific periodicals and Ministry of Health guidelines. The use of scientific journals is hindered by lack of time and limited familiarity with scientific language. Access to scientific information should be facilitated by the use of more accessible sources and training for municipal administrators in the use of open-access periodicals. Such measures can foster knowledge of current evidence among municipal health secretaries.