Access to Electronic Health Knowledge in Africa
Author Information
Author(s): Smith Helen, Bukirwa Hasifa, Mukasa Oscar, Snell Paul, Adeh-Nsoh Sylvester, Mbuyita Selemani, Honorati Masanja, Orji Bright, Garner Paul
Primary Institution: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Hypothesis
What factors influence the use of online medical literature via free access initiatives in Africa?
Conclusion
Textbooks are still a key resource for postgraduate doctors, but there is limited awareness of free-access initiatives like HINARI.
Supporting Evidence
- 70% of postgraduate doctors reported textbooks as their main source of information.
- 66% had used the Internet for health information in the last week.
- 90% of respondents had heard of PubMed.
Takeaway
Doctors in Africa often use textbooks for information, but many also use the Internet, even though they don't know much about free resources available to them.
Methodology
Descriptive study with surveys and semi-structured interviews conducted in four teaching hospitals and one research institution across five African countries.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported data and the limited sample size.
Limitations
The study is small and relies on self-reported data, which may not be entirely accurate.
Participant Demographics
Postgraduate doctors and research scientists from four countries in Africa, with 25% being women.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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