Uso de tecnologías de la información y comunicación para investigación en estudiantes de medicina paraguayos Translated title: The use of information and communication technologies in research by Paraguayan medical students

The research investigated the extent to which students, residents, and faculty members in Canadian medical faculties use mobile devices, such as smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and tablet computers (e.g., iPad), to answer clinical questions and find medical information. The results of this study will inform how health libraries can effectively support mobile technology and collections.

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. 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. MEDLINE (1993 to 2004), medical education-related conference proceedings, and hand search of article bibliographies. 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. 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. 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.

Given the power and pervasiveness of technology, this paper considers whether it can help doctors to access, use and share knowledge and thus contribute to their ability to uphold the part of the Hippocratic Oath concerned with respecting 'the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk' and sharing 'such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow'. How technology supports connections between doctors and knowledge is considered by focusing on the use of mobile technology in the workplace and Web 2.0 tools.