Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-19T11:55:22.391Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Physicians' Patterns of Using a Computerized Collection of Guidelines for Primary Care

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 March 2009

Jukkapekka Jousimaa
Affiliation:
University of Kuopio
Ilkka Kunnamo
Affiliation:
Finnish Medical Society
Marjukka Mäkelä
Affiliation:
Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health (STAKES)

Abstract

Physician's Desk Reference and Database is a Finnish collection of computerized primary care guidelines. The program has been in clinical use since 1989. For this study, a function producing a log file of all searches was added to the program. Two hundred twenty-seven users returned log files that contained 15,267 searches. The users made 3.12 (range 1–10.4) searches per day. The average time needed to find and read an article was 4.9 minutes. Sufficient facts were found in 71% of the searches. Dermatology was the most popular field of interest, followed by infectious diseases and cardiology.

Type
General Essays
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1998

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1.Berner, E. S., Webster, G. D., & Shugerman, A. A., et al. Performance of four computer based diagnostic systems. New England Journal of Medicine, 1994, 330, 1792–96.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2.Connelly, D. P., Rich, E. C., Curley, S. P., & Kelly, J. T.Knowledge resource preferences of family physicians. Journal of Family Practice, 1990, 30, 353–59.Google ScholarPubMed
3.Conroy, M., & Shannon, W.Clinical guidelines: Their implementation in general practice. British Journal of General Practice, 1995, 45, 371–75.Google ScholarPubMed
4.Covell, D. G., Uman, C. G., & Manning, P. R.Information needs in office practice: Are they being met? Annals of Internal Medicine, 1985, 103, 596–99.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5.Ely, J. W., Burch, R. J., & Vinson, D. C.The information needs of family physicians: Case-specific clinical questions. Journal of Family Practice, 1992, 35, 265–69.Google ScholarPubMed
6.Essex, B. J.Decision analysis in general practice. In Sheldon, M., Brooke, J., & Rector, A. (eds.), Decision making in general practice. London: MacMillan Press, 1985.Google Scholar
7.Forsythe, D. E., & Buchanan, B. G.Expanding the concept of medical information: An observational study of physician's information needs. Computers and Biomedical Research, 1992, 25, 181200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
8.Grimshaw, J. M., & Russell, I. T.Achieving health gain through clinical guidelines, II: Ensuring that guidelines change medical practice. Quality in Health Care, 1994, 3, 4552.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9.Grimshaw, J. M., & Russell, I. T.Effects of clinical guidelines in medical practice: A systematic review of rigorous evaluations. Lancet, 1993, 342, 1317–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Grol, R.Development of guidelines for general practice care. British Journal of General Practice, 1993, 43, 146–51.Google ScholarPubMed
11.Haynes, R. B., McKibbon, K. A., Walker, C. J, et al. Online access to MEDLINE in clinical settings. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1990, 112, 7884.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
12.Heathfield, H. A., & Wyatt, J. C.Philosophies for the design and development of clinical decision-support systems. Methods of Information in Medicine, 1993, 32, 18.Google ScholarPubMed
13.Hersh, W., & Hickam, D.Use of a multi-application computer software in a clinical setting. Bulletin of Medical Librarians Association, 1994, 82, 382–89.Google ScholarPubMed
14.Horowitz, G., Jackson, J., & Bleich, H.PaperChase self-service retrieval. Journal of American Medical Association, 1983, 328, 2495–500.Google Scholar
15.Jousimaa, J., & Kunnamo, I. A.PDRD — A computer-based primary care decision support system. Medical Informatics, 1993, 18, 103–12.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
16.Jousimaa, J., Kunnamo, I. A., & Mäkelä, M. An implementation study of the PDRD decision support system. Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care, in press.Google Scholar
17.Osheroff, J. A., & Bankowitz, R. A.Physician's use of computer software in answering clinical questions. Bulletin of Medical Librarians Association, 1993, 81, 1119.Google ScholarPubMed
18.Osheroff, J. A., Forsythe, D. E., Buchanan, B. G., et al. Physician's information needs: Analysis of questions posed during clinical teaching. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1991, 114, 576–81.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
19.Plugge, L. A., Verhey, F. R., & Jolles, J.A desktop expert system for the differential diagnosis of dementia: An evaluation study. International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care, 1990, 6, 147–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
20.Rethans, J. J., Sturmans, F., Drop, R., et al. Does competence of general practitioners predict their performance? Comparison between examination setting and actual practice. British Medical Journal, 1991, 303, 1377–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21.Selker, H. P.Criteria for adoption in practice of medical practice guidelines. American Journal of Cardiology, 1993, 71, 339–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22.Smith, R.What clinical information do doctors need? British Medical Journal, 1996, 313, 1062–68.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
23.Stinson, E. R., & Mueller, D. A.Survey of health professionals' information habits and needs. Journal of American Medical Association, 1980, 243, 140143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
24.Thomson, R., Lavender, M., & Madhok, R.How to ensure that guidelines are effective. British Medical Journal, 1995, 311, 237–42.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
25.Timpka, T., & Arborelius, E.The GP's dilemmas: A study of knowledge needs and use during health care consultations. Methods of Information in Medicine, 1990, 29, 2329.Google Scholar
26.Williamson, J. W., German, P. S., Weiss, R., et al. Health science information management and continuing education of physicians. Annals of Internal Medicine, 1989, 110, 151160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
27.Woolf, S. H.Practice guidelines: A new reality in medicine, III: Impact on patient care. Archives of Internal Medicine, 1993, 153, 2646–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar