Rural providers' access to online resources: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Clinical Decision Support

Background:

• Point-of-care (PoC) resources are crucial for evidence-based practice in rural healthcare settings.
• Assessing the usability and satisfaction of different PoC resources is essential for optimizing clinical workflows.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the usage and satisfaction levels of two distinct point-of-care (PoC) resources, DynaMed and AccessMedicine.
• To compare the effectiveness of a clinically oriented PoC resource versus a textbook-based resource in a rural healthcare context.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 28 healthcare providers (physicians, physician assistants, nurses) in rural areas.
• Participants were stratified by occupation and region, then randomized to use either DynaMed or AccessMedicine.
• Pre- and post-study surveys measured attitudes and information-seeking behaviors, with data analyzed using ANOVA, paired t tests, and Cohen's d.

Main Results:

• Both DynaMed and AccessMedicine users reported increased satisfaction and time savings in information retrieval.
• Participants' perception of information availability shifted from "too little" to "about right" post-study.
• DynaMed users showed significantly higher increases in reported use (Cohen's d = +1.50) and satisfaction (d = 9.48) compared to AccessMedicine users (use d = 0.82, satisfaction d = 0.59).

Conclusions:

• DynaMed, a clinically oriented PoC resource, was used more heavily by participants than the textbook-based AccessMedicine.
• DynaMed users reported significantly higher levels of satisfaction with the resource compared to AccessMedicine users.