Use of handheld computers in medical education

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Over the past decade, handheld computers (or personal digital assistants [PDAs]) have become a popular tool among medical trainees and physicians. Few comprehensive reviews of PDA use in medicine have been published. OBJECTIVE: We systematically reviewed the literature to (1) describe medical trainees' use of PDAs for education or patient care, (2) catalog popular software applications, and (3) evaluate the impact of PDA use on patient care. DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (1993 to 2004), medical education‐related conference proceedings, and hand search of article bibliographies. REVIEW METHODS: We identified articles and abstracts that described the use of PDAs in medical education by trainees or educators. Reports presenting a qualitative or quantitative evaluation were included. RESULTS: Sixty‐seven studies met inclusion criteria. Approximately 60% to 70% of medical students and residents use PDAs for educational purposes or patient care. Satisfaction was generally high and correlated with the level of handheld computer experience. Most of the studies included described PDA use for patient tracking and documentation. By contrast, trainees rated medical textbooks, medication references, and medical calculators as the most useful applications. Only 1 randomized trial with educational outcomes was found, demonstrating improved learning and application of evidence‐based medicine with use of PDA‐based decision support software. No articles reported the impact of PDA use on patient outcomes. CONCLUSION: Most medical trainees find handhelds useful in their medical education and patient care. Further studies are needed to evaluate how PDAs impact learning and clinical outcomes.

The use of mobile learning by 6th-year medical students in a minimally-supported environment

“…The survey form was based primarily on other surveys evaluating m-learning and the use of mobile devices in the medical fields. 5,6,[10][11][12]16,17 Students were asked to indicate the activities for which they used their devices, and the frequency of usage. The question asked was "Did you use your mobile device for any of the following during the year?"…”

“…Not entirely surprising, then, studies of clinical students' use of mobile devices have shown their increasing use and perception of value of the devices. 5,[12][13][14] For example, Strayer et al found as many as 59% of the medical students used their Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) on a weekly basis, and 71% had loaded medical applications onto their PDAs, and accessed their web-based courses from their PDA significantly more than from other computing devices. 14 Crucial to the success of m-learning in the studies is the technical, financial and other support offered to the students.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] In these studies, a frequent thread of argument is that mobile devices are crucial to modern medical practice.…”

Third-year medical students’ knowledge of privacy and security issues concerning mobile devices

“…Looking specifically at medical students, Grasso et al (2005) surveyed preclinical and clinical medical students and found that the clinical students used drug references and medical calculators on their handheld device. Kho et al (2006) found that 60-70% of medical students and residents use PDAs for education or clinical care. At IUSM we were interested in how our third-year…”

“…In October 2010, another study showed that 85% of all American adults, 96% of those were aged 18-29 years, and 90% of those aged 30-49 years own a cell phone (Smith 2010a). Work has previously been done looking at the trends of handheld computing and mobile device use in graduate medical education (Barrett et al 2004;Sutton et al 2004;Mattana et al 2005;Khan et al 2007;Morris et al 2007), with undergraduate medical students (Grasso et al 2005;Kho et al 2006;Kennedy et al 2008;Norman et al 2008;Chatterley & Chojecki 2010;Ferenchick et al 2010;Lasserre et al 2010), and the health care setting (Garritty & El Emam 2006;Ranson et al 2007;Trelease 2008;Evans & Stacey 2009). Looking specifically at medical students, Grasso et al (2005) surveyed preclinical and clinical medical students and found that the clinical students used drug references and medical calculators on their handheld device.…”