Theme: 3AA Mobile learning and social networks
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How do Medical Students in the United States and China Use their Smartphones During Clinical Work
Authors: Caroline Milne (1)
Sonja Raaum (1)
Zhang Fan (2)
Carlos Vallejo (3)
Jorie Colbert-Getz (1)
Christian Arbelaez (4)
Institutions: 1. University of Utah School of Medicine - USA
2. Hainan Medical University- China 3. Universidad de Antioquia-Colombia
4. The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School
 
Background
  • As of 2013, smartphone technology has provided over 100,000 medical apps. 
  • Research on how medical students utilize their smartphones and apps during clinical work is limited.
Summary of Work
  • In 2014 we surveyed one class of medical students on clinical rotations in the United States (University of Utah School of Medicine) and in China (Hainan Medical University) to understand current smartphone use and barriers to use during clinical work.
  • Participants indicated monthly smartphone use on a 1-4 Likert scale where 1 = once/month, 2 = once/week, 3 = once/day or every couple days, and 4 = several times/day.  They also indicated use for 16 features/apps on a 0-4 Likert scale, which was the same as the monthly use scale except there was a 0 option for never. 

  • Total monthly use, total scores for the 5 general use items, total scores for the 11 patient specific app use items, and barriers to use were compared between medical students in the US and China with Mann Whitney U tests. 
Summary of Results
  • Response rates were 49% in the US and 71% in China.  
  • 50% of medical students in China and 96% in the US owned a smartphone and used it during clinical work. 

 

  • Medical students use their smartphones for more general features (Total score = 64) than patient specific apps (Total score 35), P < .001. 
  • Medical students in the US had higher general use scores and higher monthly use than medical students in China, P < .001, but there was no difference for patient specific apps use, P = .434.

 

 

  • 72% of medical students in the US and 69% of medical students in China were interested in receiving formal training on clinical smartphone apps. 
  • 98% of medical students in the US and 80% of medical students in China thought smartphone clinical app use improves clinical care.
Conclusion
  • Adoption of smartphones into the clinical environment has been faster for medical students in the US compared to China.  Students in the US are not using patient specific apps at higher rates than students in China. 
  • More formal training is needed for student medical apps utilization. 
Take-home Messages
  • Medical students use their smartphones for general use more often than patient specific apps in the clinical workplace. 
  • Medical students think clinical apps improve clinical care.
Background
Summary of Work
Summary of Results
Conclusion
Take-home Messages
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