Assessment of physicians' information needs in five Texas counties

Area of Science:

• Medical Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Physicians in remote areas may face challenges accessing medical information compared to those with established library access.
• Understanding information resource utilization is crucial for improving healthcare delivery in diverse practice settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare information resource use, particularly MEDLINE and library access, between physicians in the lower Rio Grande Valley and Bexar County, Texas.
• To explore factors influencing information resource use and non-use among physicians with varying access to medical libraries.

Main Methods:

• A 1990 questionnaire survey was distributed to physicians in four Texas counties (lower Rio Grande Valley) and a random sample in Bexar County.
• Response rates were 48.9% for Valley physicians and 59.3% for Bexar County physicians (overall 52.2%).
• The study compared demographic, professional, patient, and information resource usage variables, including MEDLINE and information technology availability.

Main Results:

• Differences were observed in the utilization of MEDLINE and libraries between physicians with and without local medical library access.
• Physician information usage was not significantly affected by differences in the healthcare profile.
• Over 40% of physicians in both groups reported no experience with using databases, indicating a potential gap in digital literacy.

Conclusions:

• Access to medical libraries influences physicians' use of specific information resources like MEDLINE.
• Despite differences in resource access, a substantial portion of physicians lacked experience with databases, highlighting a need for training.
• Bridging information access gaps is essential for equitable healthcare, particularly for physicians in remote or underserved areas.