Ipad Usage and Impact on Pediatric Medical Students’ Learning and Patient Care

Abstract

Background and Aims: The advent of mobile technologies has stimulated an academic shift in medical education from traditional methods to mobile teaching and learning. This study investigated medical students’ current and anticipated iPad usage as well as perceived impact of iPads on their learning and patient care. The ultimate purpose of the inquiry was to improve future implementation processes. Methods: Twenty-three iPads were loaded with applications including Cerner Citrix Receiver, question banks, review texts, DynaMed, and the iTunes U application that contained clerkship curriculum. Fifty-eight students used the iPads during a Pediatrics rotation and filled out a survey upon completion. Descriptive statistics were generated from quantitative responses while thematic analysis was used to summarize ideas from qualitative responses. An exploratory mixed methods approach was used to integrate qualitative and quantitative findings. T-tests were used to determine differential usage as a function of prior iPad ownership and experience. Results and Conclusions: Students variably used iPads to access question banks, didactics and review texts, conduct internet searches, and monitor patient information. IPads were most used compared to other electronic and print sources with cited advantages of portability, convenience, instant accessibility, enhancement of professional conduct, and time management. Respondents proposed other areas in which iPads could be used in the rotation. This highlighted the need to expand our iPad initiative to cover other aspects of learning. Given that prior iPad ownership and experience did not determine differences in usage, the observed variability in iPad usage suggests mere diversity of baseline needs.