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Physician opinion about electronic publications.
S M Wright1, W T Tseng, K Kolodner
1Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, Maryland 21224-2780, USA.
The American Journal of Medicine
|April 5, 2001
Summary
Physicians see benefits in electronic journals, like easier access and environmental friendliness. However, they value the convenience of print journals and worry about reduced literature quality and author prestige.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Publishing Studies
- Physician Education
Background:
- Electronic journal subscriptions are increasingly available to physicians via the Internet.
- Physician perspectives on this shift to digital medical literature are largely unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore physician opinions and attitudes towards electronic journal publications.
- To understand physician acceptance of digital access to medical literature.
Main Methods:
- A survey questionnaire was distributed to physicians at a university-affiliated teaching hospital.
- The survey assessed opinions on features distinguishing electronic from print journals.
Main Results:
- 81% of surveyed physicians responded, with 26% concerned about lowered literature quality and 25% about diminished author prestige.
- Positive attitudes were associated with being female, faculty, having fewer publications, better computer skills, and frequent internet use.
- Most physicians favored benefits like reduced clutter, environmental friendliness, easier report retrieval, and linked articles, but 74% were concerned about losing print convenience.
Conclusions:
- Physicians acknowledge the value of electronic publications for access and features.
- A primary concern remains the loss of convenience associated with traditional print journals.