Mobile learning in clinical settings: unveiling the paradox.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Technology Acceptance Model

Background:

• Mobile device utilization in clinical settings is rising among medical trainees.
• Existing research often overlooks user preferences and motivations for mobile technology adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore medical students', doctors', and patients' preferences and reasons for using mobile devices in clinical settings.
• To apply the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2) framework to understand mobile technology adoption in healthcare education.

Main Methods:

• An exploratory research design combining online surveys for medical students and semi-structured interviews with doctors and patients.
• Survey and interview questions were developed from existing literature and expert-reviewed.
• Convenience sampling was employed for participant recruitment.

Main Results:

• Medical students predominantly use mobile devices for accessing drug information and clinical practice guidelines, with UpToDate and Google being primary resources.
• Identified barriers include unreliable internet connectivity, concerns about information accuracy, and technical difficulties.
• Thematic analysis revealed insights into general usage, student receptivity, preferred learning resource features, and current limitations.

Conclusions:

• Findings inform recommendations for selecting appropriate mobile learning materials to enhance clinical education.
• The study contributes to expanding the applicability and understanding of the Technology Acceptance Model 2 (TAM 2) in medical contexts.