Medical application usage traits by students in Greece.

Area of Science:

• Medical Education Technology
• Digital Health Interventions
• Student Learning Tools

Background:

• Medical applications (apps) offer innovative educational capabilities for learning and decision-making.
• Understanding usage patterns and perceptions of these tools among medical students is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the usage characteristics and perceptions of medical students regarding mobile medical applications.
• To identify factors influencing the adoption and utilization of medical apps in Greece.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive cross-sectional study utilizing an online survey.
• Data collected from 1,458 undergraduate medical students across seven Greek medical schools.

Main Results:

• High smartphone ownership (99.2%) but lower medical app usage (53.9%).
• Awareness and usage increase with academic year; higher usage correlates with more frequent app use.
• Distinct usage patterns observed between preclinical and clinical students.

Conclusions:

• Medical app adoption remains relatively low, indicating potential for growth.
• Apps serve as valuable adjunctive educational tools, with usage patterns evolving through medical studies.
• Targeted interventions could enhance the integration of medical apps into the curriculum.