Comparison of accessing online databases between physicians and nurses in Taiwan

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Medical Education
• Information Science

Background:

• Online databases are crucial for health information retrieval.
• Understanding usage patterns among healthcare professionals is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the online database usage patterns between physicians and nurses.
• To identify differences in motivations and preferred resources.

Main Methods:

• A structured questionnaire was administered to physicians and nurses in Taiwan.
• Data from 544 physicians and 1,573 nurses were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Physicians generally used online databases more than nurses.
• Physicians favored English databases (MEDLINE, UpToDate) for clinical practice and research.
• Nurses accessed Chinese databases more frequently, primarily for class assignments.

Conclusions:

• Significant variations exist in how physicians and nurses access and utilize online health information resources.
• Tailored strategies can enhance database accessibility and effectiveness for both professional groups.