Current Use of Smartphone and Tablet Applications in Orthopaedic Surgery Residency

Abstract

Background:In orthopaedic surgery residency, traditional methods of education are being challenged by more technologically advanced modalities, specifically smartphone and tablet applications. Although these tools have become increasingly popular among orthopaedic surgeons, uncertainty remains about the widespread use of applications in orthopaedic residency. Aims:This study aims to evaluate the perception of orthopaedic residents regarding the use of applications to support their education and clinical decision-making.Methods: An anonymous, 25 question survey regarding the use of clinical and educational applications during residency training was distributed to 50 orthopaedic residents at two different ACGMEaccredited programs. Statistical analysis was performed using two tailed t-tests for analysis of means, and chi-squared tests of independence of categorical variables, with significance defined as a p<0.05 a priori.Results: Thirty-seven residents (Response Rate: 74%) completed the survey. Most residents use a specific free orthopaedic reference application on a weekly basis (86.1%). Thirty-six residents (97.3%) believe that there is an educational benefit from medical applications, however, the majority of residents (54.05%) believe that senior physicians look down upon the use of applications during clinical practice. Over 90% of residents agree that the cost of an application affects the decision to download and use it. Conclusion:Most orthopaedic surgery residents use a wide variety of applications on a daily basis. Despite the increasing role of applications, the perception among residents that senior physicians look down upon the use of applications could be a barrier to widespread implementation.