It has been announced that Fukushima Medical School in Japan (http://www.fmu.ac.jp/index-e.html)
will introduce IT education system using several IT devices and electrical educational materials from next Spring.
Kahoku news in 24th Oct 2010
Aim for this project is to build interactive and timely supporting system for learners to communicate with educators/supervisors. Students can make their portfolio and are expected to be independent learners. Eighty Students of 5th grade (Medical school education in Japan takes 6 years) will be given iPad as an IT device for this project.
Project summary (PDF file)
能動的学習態度を醸成する臨床実習システム ～双方向性オールインワン実習手帳の開発～
Clinical learning system to assist active learning attitude - Development of interactive all-in-one clerkship record- (Japanese)
www.fmu.ac.jp/univ/daigaku/pdf/gp.pdf
There is also similar project in UK by University of Leeds collaborating with O2, one of the mobile company.
O2 - Student doctors swap textbooks for iPhones)
University of Leeds - ‘Generation Y’ student doctors swap textbooks for iPhones
According to their website, all forth and fifth year medical students, 520 students, will be able to access an iPhone 3GS 16 GB. The iPhone will be pre-loaded with applications for recording clinical cases and testing their knowledge during training. In addition to these applications, eTextbook of key medical textbooks and guidelines for prescribing medication will be included.
I believe quite many physicians, both primary and secondary care, and medical students have used IT devices since portable PC/Mac had been introduced into market.
It used to be PDA devices in the pocket of white coat instead carrying notepad, guidelines and textbook, then now it will be iPad and/or iphone/smartphone.
Many of my friend physicians have bought iPhone/smartphone and/or iPad and used these to support their clinical practice, learning and education.
These 2 cases are examples in a clinical education for medical students and it will be more strong impact towards patients care to do research focused on physicians performance using IT devices.
Also, we need to monitor carefully how introducing these IT devices will bring potential harm to patients such as spreading infection and risk/thread of breaching patients privacy.
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福島医科大学が双方向性医学教区の一環として、来春からiPadを使った教育システムを導入すると発表されましたね。(http://www.fmu.ac.jp/index-e.html)
will introduce IT education system using several IT devices and electrical educational materials from next Spring.
河北新報社 in 24th Oct 2010
サマリーが以下のPDF fileにあります。
能動的学習態度を醸成する臨床実習システム ～双方向性オールインワン実習手帳の開発～
www.fmu.ac.jp/univ/daigaku/pdf/gp.pdf
同じような取り組みがUKでもなされており、Leeds大学と携帯電話会社のO2が共同で取り組み始めたようです。パイロット研究と行っても５２０人もの医学生にiPhoneを貸与し、病棟での実習の取り組みや観察した事に対してのテスト等のアプリケーションも導入される様子。
O2 - Student doctors swap textbooks for iPhones)
University of Leeds - ‘Generation Y’ student doctors swap textbooks for iPhones
ポータブルPC/Macの出現から、分野を問わず医師も医学生もかなりIT devicesを使ってきました。ノートや教科書の代わりにPDAを使っていましたが、それがiPad/iPhoneやSmartphoneに取って代わったという感じですね。
上記の取り組みは医学生が対象ですが、現場の医師を対象とした研究は更に現場へのインパクトが大きいでしょうね。
良い事ばかりではなく、感染症対策やプライバシー漏洩のリスク等に付いてもきちんと見ていく必要がありそうです。
