How Residents and Interns Use Digital Tools for Medical Knowledge
Author Information
Author(s): Phua Jason, Lim Tow Keang
Primary Institution: National University Hospital, Singapore
Hypothesis
How do residents and interns utilize and perceive the personal digital assistant (PDA) and UpToDate?
Conclusion
Both UpToDate and PDA software applications were found to be useful by some residents and interns, but they were under-utilized.
Supporting Evidence
- 79.8% response rate from 168 doctors.
- 40.3% of doctors owned a PDA, but many did not have medical software downloaded.
- 56.7% of doctors used UpToDate despite institutional subscription.
Takeaway
Doctors use digital tools like PDAs and UpToDate to help with medical information, but many don't use them enough.
Methodology
Questionnaire survey of residents and interns in a tertiary teaching hospital.
Potential Biases
Potential response bias due to non-respondents; self-reported data may not reflect actual usage.
Limitations
Results may not be generalizable to other settings; response bias may exist; the validity of self-reported data is uncertain.
Participant Demographics
134 doctors (103 residents and 31 interns), predominantly male (61.2%), average age 28 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.004
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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