Reading habits of practicing physiatrists

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Scholarly Communication

Background:

• The number of accredited medical specialties and indexed journals has significantly increased over 30 years.
• This expansion creates a challenge for specialists to stay current with relevant literature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the extent and frequency with which physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists read pertinent journals.
• To understand the reading habits of physiatrists in relation to the growing body of medical information.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire was distributed to 1204 board-eligible physiatrists, including residents, fellows, and attending physicians.
• Participants reported on their journal reading habits, including which of 36 listed journals they read and to what extent.
• Respondents also indicated practice type (academic vs. private) and desired reading volume.

Main Results:

• Few journals were consistently read thoroughly; most physiatrists scanned tables of contents and read selected articles.
• Academic physiatrists reported reading more than those in private practice.
• 67% of subspecialists read journals relevant to their specific area, and 83% wished they could read more.

Conclusions:

• Physiatrists face challenges in comprehensively reading essential journals in their field.
• The predominant reading strategy involves scanning and selectively reading important articles rather than in-depth review.
• A significant majority of physiatrists desire more time for journal reading to keep pace with medical advancements.