Medical diagnosis and decision making are becoming increasingly dependent on computerized literature searching, software supported diagnosis, and online communications with experts at remote sites. The School of Medicine promotes student and resident use of computer technology to manage information, support patient-care decisions, and reinforce the quality of the educational experience.
The goals are to teach medical students to search the medical literature, to teach medical diagnosis and problem solving using electronic diagnostic decision-support systems, to promote student communication with faculty using electronic mail, and to facilitate the use of self-directed computer-based instruction.
Student educational workstations (SEWs) were installed in MCV Hospitals and a Clinical Medical Library (CML) program, in collaboration with the medical library, was implemented to provide in-depth Medline training to third year medical students. This paper will describe the use of the SEWs for teaching and outline the usage of the workstations.
The School of Medicine is committed to the expansion of computer use within the curriculum. As we teach medical informatics skills, students who have access to the SEWs and have received training are more likely to utilize online resources to manage information and patient care. This commitment to successful integration of computer technology into the curriculum requires collaboration, curriculum objectives, hardware, faculty development, and student training.