Resident utilization of information technology - A randomized trial of clinical question formation

OBJECTIVE: To determine if a simple educational intervention can increase resident physician literature search activity. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: University hospital-based internal medicine training program. PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight medical residents rotating on the general internal medicine service. INTERVENTIONS: One-hour didactic session, the use of well-built clinical question cards, and practical sessions in clinical question building. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Objective data from the library information system that included the number of log-ons to MEDLINE, searching volume, abstracts viewed, full-teat articles viewed, and time spent searching. Median search activity as measured per person per week (control vs intervention): number of log-ons to MEDLINE (2.1 vs 4.4, P < .001); total number of search sets (24.0 vs 74.2, P < .001); abstracts viewed (5.8 vs 17.7, P = .001); articles viewed (1.0 vs 2.6. P = .005); and hours spent searching (0.8 vs 2.4, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: A simple educational intervention can markedly increase resident searching activity.