title: The Pocketable Electronic Devices in Radiation Oncology (PEDRO) Project: How the Use of Tools in Medical Decision Making is Changing?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze the impact of mobile electronic devices (MEDs) and apps in the daily clinical activity of young radiation or clinical oncologists in 5 Western European countries (Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, and Denmark).
  
  
  METHODS
  A web-based questionnaire was sent to 462 young (≤40 years) members of the national radiation or clinical oncology associations of the countries involved in the study. The 15 items investigated diffusion of MEDs (smartphones and/or tablets), their impact on daily clinical activity, and the differences perceived by participants along time.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 386 (83.5%) of the 462 correctly filled questionnaires were statistically evaluated. Up to 65% of respondents declared to use an electronic device during their clinical activity. Conversely, 72% considered low to moderate impact of smartphones/tables on their daily practice. The daily use significantly increased from 2009 to 2012: users reporting a use ≥6 times/d raised from 5% to 39.9%. Professional needs fulfillment was declared by less than 68% of respondents and compliance to apps indications by 66%. Significant differences were seen among the countries, in particular concerning the feeling of usefulness of MEDs in the daily clinical life. The perception of the need of a comprehensive Web site containing a variety of applications (apps) for clinical use significantly differed among countries in 2009, while it was comparable in 2012.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This survey showed a large diffusion of MEDs in young professionals working in radiation oncology. Looking at these data, it is important to verify the consistency of information found within apps, in order to avoid potential errors eventually detrimental for patients. "Quality assurance" criteria should be specifically developed for medical apps and a comprehensive Web site gathering all reliable applications and tools might be useful for daily clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Berardino
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: De Bari
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierfrancesco
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Franco
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niyazi
authors.affiliation: Medical Physics Department, Ospedale Regionale `U. Parini', AUSL Valle d'Aosta, Aosta, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea Peruzzo
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cornetto
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark.
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qvortrup
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Catalan Institute of Oncology, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Arturo Navarro
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Cruces University Hospital, Barakaldo, Vizcaya, Spain.
authors.forename: Jon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cacicedo
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Department, Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Gonçalo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fernandez
authors.affiliation: Radiotherapy Department, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown (CCU), Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís Vasco
authors.initials: LV
authors.lastname: Louro
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Hopitaux Universitaires de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Laëtitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lestrade
authors.affiliation: Advanced Department, Radiotherapy Unit, Azienda Ospedaliera "Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova", IRCCS, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ciammella
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Greto
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology Department, Centre Hospitalier Ibn Rochd, Casablanca, Morocco.
authors.forename: Tarik
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Checkrine
authors.affiliation: Centre Privé d'oncologie-radiothérapie Elkholti Guelliz, Marrakech, Morocco.
authors.forename: Elkholti
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Youssef
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiation Oncology, University of Torino, Turin, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea Riccardo
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Filippi
authors.affiliation: Department of oncology, Aalborg University Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: Laurids Østergaard
authors.initials: LØ
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.affiliation: Radiation Oncology, Ospedale Sacro Cuore-Don Calabria, Negrar, Verona, Italy filippo.alongi@sacrocuore.it.
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Alongi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000066491:Clinical Decision-Making / Q000379:methods*; D003658:Decision Making, Computer-Assisted; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D018787:Radiation Oncology; D000068997:Smartphone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: app; mobile electronic devices; radiotherapy; smartphone; tablet