title: Qualified doctor and medical students' use of resources for accessing information: what is used and why?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Learning to access information using resources such as books and search engines is an important and fast changing challenge for doctors and medical students. Many resources exist to support evidence-based clinical decision-making, but a wide range of factors influences their use.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore qualified doctor and medical students' use of resources for accessing information and to determine what is used and why.
  
  
  METHODS
  A stratified sample of 46 participants was recruited in Devon, UK. Participants kept a self-report diary of resources used over a week. The diaries were then used to stimulate recall within a semi-structured interview. Diary data were collated into tables of resource use. Qualitative data from the interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many resources were used by participants but typically for a short duration of time. Categories of reasons for accessing resources were 'to check', 'to learn' and 'to demonstrate'. The two main factors influencing choice of information resource were 'ease of access' and 'quality of information'. Students accessed more information, for a longer duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Resources must be quick to use, easy to access and tailored to the different purposes that they serve for qualified doctors and medical students.
authors.affiliation: Collaboration for the Advancement of Medical Education Research and Asssessment (CAMERA), Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, UK.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Narcie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harrower
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mattick
mesh_terms: D066275:Health Information Exchange / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D057226:Information Seeking Behavior; D007990:Libraries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010820:Physicians; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013337:Students, Medical
keywords: access to information; doctors, information seeking behaviour; qualitative research; recall, students, medical