Web 2.0 Based Tools and Physicians: Are We Really Ready to Go?
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Abstract
Background
The use of web 2.0 tools is growing in everyday life. 2011 will be possibly the year of the mobile Internet applications going mainstream. As for other sectors, physicians also find multiple applications available for the daily practice, research and communication between doctors and patients. One of the working hypotheses of this study is that most practitioners can use these tools but are still reluctant in using them at work, for daily practice and investigation. In times of cut backs for social services in most developed countries, the use of efficient tools is essential, not only for doctors, but also for the management of medical institutions.
This research tries to describe the state of the art of the usage of web 2.0 tools in the daily medical practice in Spain, with a special focus on the efficient use of tools. Furthermore, patterns of age, medical specialty, research purposes and clinical applications of web 2.0 tools could be described, in order to adopt educational programs for the implementation of competency based training.
Methods
A first heuristic approach led to a survey, which was deployed through an online questionnaire, distributed through mail, social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Due to the preliminary state of this research work, it is important to follow up the first quantitative results with some qualitative case studies on the efficient usage of web 2.0 tools which add value to the medical practice in hospitals and doctor's offices. Results
Research in progress. In less than 2 weeks time until end of February 2011, more than 300 doctors have answered this first survey. First preliminary results have shown that 97% have Internet at home and 47% use mobile services in comparison to 44, 4% of Internet users on Spanish population. What is interesting is that the most popular application are still e-mail and more than 80% do not actively employ content creating tools. Doctors are generally advanced e-learning users, with more than 40% learning online. Most doctors also use office products. Although more than 70% have published scientific articles and post gradual studies, the usage of web 2.0 research tools like Zotero, for instance, is very low. A high percentage of the interviewed physicians find web 2.0 tools theoretically useful and efficient.
Conclusions
Research in progress. First results have shown that the hypotheses could be backed. Most Spanish physicians have internet at home, they are familiar with many of the web 2.0 tools but they don't use them in their daily practice or in their research work. Most of their internet time is still for leisure. Therefore it is necessary to investigate how physicians could be motivated in the use of these tools, showing them the added value with the help of best practices and lessons learned.
The use of web 2.0 tools is growing in everyday life. 2011 will be possibly the year of the mobile Internet applications going mainstream. As for other sectors, physicians also find multiple applications available for the daily practice, research and communication between doctors and patients. One of the working hypotheses of this study is that most practitioners can use these tools but are still reluctant in using them at work, for daily practice and investigation. In times of cut backs for social services in most developed countries, the use of efficient tools is essential, not only for doctors, but also for the management of medical institutions.
This research tries to describe the state of the art of the usage of web 2.0 tools in the daily medical practice in Spain, with a special focus on the efficient use of tools. Furthermore, patterns of age, medical specialty, research purposes and clinical applications of web 2.0 tools could be described, in order to adopt educational programs for the implementation of competency based training.
Methods
A first heuristic approach led to a survey, which was deployed through an online questionnaire, distributed through mail, social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Due to the preliminary state of this research work, it is important to follow up the first quantitative results with some qualitative case studies on the efficient usage of web 2.0 tools which add value to the medical practice in hospitals and doctor's offices. Results
Research in progress. In less than 2 weeks time until end of February 2011, more than 300 doctors have answered this first survey. First preliminary results have shown that 97% have Internet at home and 47% use mobile services in comparison to 44, 4% of Internet users on Spanish population. What is interesting is that the most popular application are still e-mail and more than 80% do not actively employ content creating tools. Doctors are generally advanced e-learning users, with more than 40% learning online. Most doctors also use office products. Although more than 70% have published scientific articles and post gradual studies, the usage of web 2.0 research tools like Zotero, for instance, is very low. A high percentage of the interviewed physicians find web 2.0 tools theoretically useful and efficient.
Conclusions
Research in progress. First results have shown that the hypotheses could be backed. Most Spanish physicians have internet at home, they are familiar with many of the web 2.0 tools but they don't use them in their daily practice or in their research work. Most of their internet time is still for leisure. Therefore it is necessary to investigate how physicians could be motivated in the use of these tools, showing them the added value with the help of best practices and lessons learned.
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