Should Tablets Be a Staple in Radiology Residencies?

Radiology residents are significantly more motivated, engaged, and efficient when their curriculum is tablet-based says a new study recently published in Academic Radiology. 

The number of physicians who rely on tablets in clinical settings is rapidly increasing. According to Radiology Business, 79 percent of healthcare workers and 81 percent of radiology residents use tablets. 

Researchers at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center invited 22 residents to work with iPads that were equipped with the curriculum and online access to radiology textbooks. Residents were asked to use the tablets to complete tasks such as “key learning points, readings, and reference presentation slides, covering all objectives published by the BR Core Exam Study Guide.” 

The residents were surveyed before the study began and a year after they had been using the iPads. The findings in the evaluations included: 

-“32% versus 73% residents agreed or strongly agreed that study resources were well-organized

-“41% versus 91% agreed or strongly agreed that study resources were easily accessible”

-“27% versus 77% agreed or strongly agreed that the modules encouraged active learning”

-“18% versus 82% agreed or strongly agreed that resources motivate them to study daily”

-“36% versus 82% agreed or strongly agreed that the resources adequately prepared the resident for the radiology board exam”

-“36% versus 82% agreed or strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the resources provided by the residency program”