Changes in Information-Seeking Patterns of Medical Students

Abstract

Fast-paced changes in the health care arena and the growth of medical information through print and electronic resources have made it increasingly apparent that medical students will need active, independent, and lifelong learning skills to supplement their formal medical education. Problem-based learning is taking hold throughout the country's medical schools because its central tenets promote problem-solving skills. At the University of California, Irvine College of Medicine, a sequence of problem-based learning courses have been implemented with a concomitant sequence of information management instruction. This article reports a description of the Patient-Doctor II course in the second-year curriculum with its information management component. Instruction is provided throughout the year and assessment of the impact of the changes indicates significant advances in skill development. Future physician patterns of information-seeking behavior will change dramatically as today's medical students learn the value of information management skills and their positive impact on clinical problem-solving as demonstrated through a problem-based learning curriculum.