Smartphones, Trainees, and Mobile Education: Implications for Graduate Medical Education

Abstract

S martphones are one of the fastest-growing sectors in the technology industry, and they continue to evolve to combine faster processors, better memory, and more efficient operating systems into a compact handheld device. Smartphones also offer a dynamic tool for use in personal and professional environments. 1 The role of smartphones in medicine continues to expand as additional uses and applications emerge. An estimated 80% of physicians, trainees, and medical students use smartphones, and this percentage is expected to increase. 2-4 Smartphones provide a multifaceted platform for mobile health care, allowing users to access a vast amount of information and interact with resources conveniently and quickly. 5 Applications range from patient monitoring to use as a tool for diagnosis, to communication and medical education. Recent advances in smartphone technology have led many educators to extend their teaching methods into the mobile learning environment, providing an ''anytime, anywhere'' approach to learning. Mobile learning has been shown to have efficacy within the traditional classroom environment, and brief communications via short message service (SMS) supplement interactive classroom sessions, resulting in enhanced interest in and attention to classroom activity. 6 Given the nature of graduate medical education (GME), where trainees are expected to assimilate a vast amount of information that is constantly evolving, and often are away from traditional classroom settings, the benefits of mobile learning with its uninterrupted access to educational resources can be particularly advantageous. In this perspective, we characterize the current and potential uses of smartphone technology in GME and provide recommendations for future studies on incorporating smartphone technology as an educational platform. Smartphones and Education The smartphone, in addition to having voice and text communication capabilities, is equipped with Internet access, a high-quality camera, and a recording device. With each new generation, smartphones come with more memory, faster computing capabilities, bigger screens, and sharper resolution. These features allow for instant and reliable access not only to the Internet and its wealth of information, but also for constant social connectivity to personal and professional peer groups. Given these functionalities, the potential for smartphone technology to enhance traditional educational methods is tremendous. Smartphones provide several mechanisms through which educational interventions can be administered (T A B L E). Mobile learning makes use of web-based and mobile-based platforms already in common use among young adults and the public. In fact, up to 35% of Americans use a smartphone, 7 and development of educational material into text messages, applications (apps), or mobile website formats has the potential to target a broad audience. Incorporation of information on social networking sites into curricula also is feasible. The trend toward universal smartphone ownership and trainees' willingness to use this technology offer a viable avenue to improve and augment current educational practices. Current Use of Smartphone Technology in GME To date, research on use of smartphones in GME is limited, and there is a lack of high-quality studies investigating the outcomes of smartphone educational interventions. 1 Previous studies have shown that SMS interventions have led to increased quality of life, improved patient management, and overall improved learner satisfaction. 8-10 These studies showed use of SMS interventions overcame external barriers such as time and distance, but faced challenges with response rate as well as technical difficulties. 8 One study found that an SMS educational intervention had a significantly better effect on breast cancer knowledge in obstetrics-gynecology residents compared with traditional paper-based teaching. 11 This mobile learning method also generated more interest in the subject material, with 60% of participants reporting they found SMS more interesting and were more motivated by SMS than by information conveyed via a traditional booklet.