Relationship between diagnostic accuracy and self-confidence among medical students when using Google search: A...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Clinical Reasoning
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Physician proficiency in clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) is crucial due to increasing medical information.
• Research on CDSSs often focuses on accuracy, with less clarity on their impact on clinical reasoning and output evaluation.
• Google, while not a traditional CDSS, has shown potential in aiding physicians with information retrieval and diagnostic decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess if Google search use enhances diagnostic accuracy and confidence in medical students.
• To evaluate how interpreting search results influences students' diagnostic confidence.

Main Methods:

• Forty-eight fifth-year medical students were given ten clinical scenarios.
• Students provided initial diagnoses and confidence levels, then re-evaluated using Google search.
• A mixed-methods approach combined quantitative analysis of diagnostic accuracy and confidence with qualitative content analysis of focus group interviews.

Main Results:

• Correct diagnoses increased from 63.6% to 76.2% after using Google search (P < .001).
• Student confidence levels rose from 4.9 to 5.9 on a 7-point Likert scale (P < .001).
• Qualitative analysis revealed insights into diagnostic processes influencing confidence.

Conclusions:

• Google search can enhance diagnostic skills and confidence in medical students.
• The findings support Google search as a valuable tool in clinical reasoning and medical education.
• Educators must teach critical information analysis for effective CDSS integration in training future physicians.