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Systematically assessing the situational relevance of electronic knowledge resources: a mixed methods study.
Pierre Pluye1, Roland M Grad, Naveen Mysore
1Department of Family Medicine, McGill University, 517 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H2W 1S4. Pierre.Pluye@mcgill.ca
Summary
Physicians found Electronic Knowledge Resources (EKRs) situationally relevant in 85.9% of cases, aiding clinical decision-making and learning. This systematic assessment method can improve EKR evaluations.
Area of Science:
- Medical Informatics
- Health Professions Education
- Information Science
Background:
- Electronic Knowledge Resources (EKRs) are increasingly integral to medical practice.
- Systematic evaluation of the situational relevance of EKRs in clinical and non-clinical settings is lacking.
- Physicians utilize EKRs for diverse cognitive and organizational objectives.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically examine the situational relevance of information items derived from EKRs.
- To assess the utility of EKRs in both clinical and non-clinical contexts for physicians.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal mixed-methods multiple case study involving 17 residents over 2 months.
- Automatic recording of usage data and impact assessment questionnaires for 1,981 information items.
- Thematic analysis of interviews and log files to link information use to physician objectives.
Main Results:
- Physicians achieved their search objectives in 85.9% of critical search cases, indicating high situational relevance.
- Additional information sources were sought in 52.6% of cases.
- Findings support the proposed physician objectives and levels of learning stimulation.
Conclusions:
- The developed systematic assessment method offers a valuable approach for user-based evaluation of EKRs.
- This methodology can inform the development and refinement of EKRs to better meet physician needs.