Does instruction in the use of personal digital assistants increase medical students' comfort and skill level?

Reference librarians developed an assessment tool to determine if formal classroom instruction on the use of PDAs benefits medical students. The questionnaire on PDA concepts and skills, designed to assess both comfort level and self-described skill level, was administered to students before and after a mandatory hands-on PDA class. Of 105 students surveyed, 90 (85.7%) felt the class was immediately beneficial. Mean scores on all questions increased from pre-session to post-session. Score increases were statistically significant (p < .05) for almost all questions, demonstrating to faculty, students, and instructors that the PDA class is beneficial, necessary, and should remain mandatory.