This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow E-mail this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My File Cabinet
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via CrossRef
Right arrow Citing Articles via Web of Science (23)
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by D’Alessandro, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Peterson, M. W.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by D’Alessandro, D. M.
Right arrow Articles by Peterson, M. W.
Related Collections
Right arrow Office Practice
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us   Add to Digg   Add to Facebook   Add to Reddit   Add to Technorati   Add to Twitter  
What's this?
PEDIATRICS Vol. 113 No. 1 January 2004, pp. 64-69

An Evaluation of Information-Seeking Behaviors of General Pediatricians

Donna M. D’Alessandro, MD*, Clarence D. Kreiter, PhD{ddagger} and Michael W. Peterson, MD§

* Department of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
{ddagger} Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education and Department of Family Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
§ Department of Internal Medicine, University of California at Fresno, Fresno, California

Objective. Usage of computer resources at the point of care has a positive effect on physician decision making. Pediatricians’ information-seeking behaviors are not well characterized. The goal of this study was to characterize quantitatively the information-seeking behaviors of general pediatricians and specifically compare their use of computers, including digital libraries, before and after an educational intervention.

Methods. General pediatric residents and faculty at a US Midwest children’s hospital participated. A control (year 1) versus intervention group (year 2) research design was implemented. Eligible pediatrician pools overlapped, such that some participated first in the control group and later as part of the intervention. The intervention group received a 10-minute individual training session and handout on how to use a pediatric digital library to answer professional questions. A general medical digital library was also available. Pediatricians in both the control and the intervention groups were surveyed using the critical incident technique during 2 6-month time periods. Both groups were telephoned for 1- to 2-minute interviews and were asked, "What pediatric question(s) did you have that you needed additional information to answer?" The main outcome measures were the differences between the proportion of pediatricians who use computers and digital libraries and a comparison of the number of times that pediatricians use these resources before and after intervention.

Results. A total of 58 pediatricians were eligible, and 52 participated (89.6%). Participant demographics between control (N = 41; 89.1%) and intervention (N = 31; 70.4%) were not statistically different. Twenty pediatricians were in both groups. Pediatricians were slightly less likely to pursue answers after the intervention (94.7% vs 89.2%); the primary reason cited for both groups was a lack of time. The pediatricians were as successful in finding answers in each group (95.7% vs 92.7%), but the intervention group took significantly less time (8.3 minutes vs 19.6 minutes). After the intervention, pediatricians used computers and digital libraries more to answer their questions and spent less time using them.

Conclusion. This study showed higher rates of physician questions pursued and answered and higher rates of computer use at baseline and after intervention compared with previous studies. Pediatricians who seek answers at the point of care therefore should begin to shift their information-seeking behaviors toward computer resources, as they are as effective but more time-efficient.

Key Words: information seeking • general pediatricians • questions • patient care

Abbreviations: SD, standard deviation


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Facebook Facebook   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati   Add to Twitter Twitter    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Arch. Dis. Child.Home page
T W Prendiville, J Saunders, and J Fitzsimons
The information-seeking behaviour of paediatricians accessing web-based resources
Arch. Dis. Child., August 1, 2009; 94(8): 633 - 635.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc.Home page
C. A. Sneiderman, D. Demner-Fushman, M. Fiszman, N. C. Ide, and T. C. Rindflesch
Knowledge-based Methods to Help Clinicians Find Answers in MEDLINE
J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc., November 1, 2007; 14(6): 772 - 780.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc.Home page
D. S. Ketchell, L. St. Anna, D. Kauff, B. Gaster, and D. Timberlake
PrimeAnswers: A Practical Interface for Answering Primary Care Questions
J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc., September 1, 2005; 12(5): 537 - 545.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc.Home page
J. W. Ely, J. A. Osheroff, M. L. Chambliss, M. H. Ebell, and M. E. Rosenbaum
Answering Physicians' Clinical Questions: Obstacles and Potential Solutions
J. Am. Med. Inform. Assoc., March 1, 2005; 12(2): 217 - 224.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Pediatr. Rev.Home page
G. M. Onady and M. A. Raslich
Evidence-based Medicine: Searching Literature and Databases for Clinical Evidence (Search Tools)
Pediatr. Rev., October 1, 2004; 25(10): 358 - 363.
[Full Text] [PDF]