Information Technology in Anesthesia Education

Abstract

The changing face of healthcare, along with changing expectations from residents with respect to the quality of education that they receive, has challenged residency programs, to rethink the model that they use and develop new strategies with consideration of the new environment. Furthermore, the volume of information in the medical field is growing exponentially; every year, more than two million scientific papers are published in biomedical journals, and more than seven million pages of information are added to the World Wide Web everyday. Keeping pace with the volume demands the introduction of innovative methods in learning, teaching, and assessing medical professionals.The patient population of today is sicker than those of the past, and it is not sufficient for a healthcare professional to rely solely on textbooks to stay current with the field. Further, the focus on evidence-based medicine has highlighted the need for healthcare providers to keep current with the literature and have access to the latest trends in patient care. As information technology has touched almost every aspect of life at the turn of the millennium, the healthcare profession is no exception. This chapter will discuss the various aspects of technology that have been used in medicine, with particular emphasis on residency training in anesthesia.