RESEARCH techniques must be improved in Myanmar’s medical field to help give patients the best possible treatment, Prof Chit Soe, a member of the Myanmar Academy of Medical Science, told a workshop on research methodology last month.

Prof Chit Soe told the workshop, which was held at East Yangon General Hospital on May 20 and 21, that few doctors in Myanmar used proper research methodology despite the fact that they were part of the curriculum at the Myanmar Medical Institute, which trains most of the doctors in Myanmar.

“The internet and other media can be useful for doctors on some occasions, but researchers need to be more careful about trusting the facts and the sources of any information,” said Prof Chit Soe.

“It is important for medical professionals not to automatically trust all the information available in this age of information explosion because they are dealing with the lives of their patients.”

He said doctors must also avoid blind acceptance of products that are pushed by pharmaceutical companies, which are not always suitable for Myanmar patients.

“If they want to use new medicines for their patients, they should conduct independent research into the product instead of believing what the company tells them. Otherwise, they might be cheated,” said Prof Chit Soe.

Dr Pyei Phyo, assistant lecturer for the Preventive and Social Medicine Department under the University of Medicine (2) in Yangon, said there was a wide range of options for medical research, and they should be used to obtain accurate facts and figures.

“Rigorous research is required in many fields to complete projects or cure diseases. The techniques used to collect and confirm the data are scattered and vary from source to source. But we must encourage medical professionals to conduct their own careful research rather than copying from questionable sources,” he said.

The workshop was part of a project by the Myanmar Medical Association, Myanmar Academy of Medical Science, Preventive and Social Medicine Department, and Department of Medical Research (Lower Myanmar) to develop a “research culture” in Myanmar.

The workshops will be offered at every hospital throughout Myanmar once a year, together with special training courses on developing a culture of research.