PDA usage by Japanese resident physicians is low: a cross-sectional survey

Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are in widespread use by resident physicians in many countries, reaching as high as 95% in some reports. Uses are varied and include clinical decision support and support of evidence-based practice. Utilization by resident doctors in Japan has not been characterized. This study was conducted to determine practice patterns of PDA use by Japanese resident physicians.

A nationwide cohort survey study was distributed to all 1070 residency teaching programs in Japan. The survey included questions pertaining to use of PDAs in clinical practice.

1124 surveys were returned (response rate of approximately 75%). 297 (30.7%) respondents reported currently using PDAs, while 971 (86.4%) reported having used a PDA in the past. PDA users were more likely to be male (p <0.05), but no other significant differences were found when examining the following variables: age, training site (university hospital versus community teaching hospital), satisfaction with existing information technology access.

Use of PDAs among Japanese resident physicians is much lower than their counterparts in other countries. In light of this, further research on patient outcomes in Japan and the impact of PDA usage on patient outcomes is urgently needed. If demonstrated to improve outcomes, barriers to adoption need to be identified and overcome.