Pattern of internet use among medical students: A cross sectional study

Introduction: The development and evolution of internet has brought profound changes in the health care delivery systems. Internet is a cost effective medium of communication which can help in meeting the complex information needs of healthcare professionals. It can serve as an important learning tool in medical education by providing access to latest evidence anytime and anywhere. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the patterns of internet access and utilization among medical students undergoing medical education. Study design: Cross sectional descriptive study. Methodology Study was carried out in Govt. Medical College, Akola, (Maharashtra, India). The study consisted of 168 medical students (77 interns and 91 final MBBS students). Data was collected through questionnaire. Result: Out of 168 medical students 75 (44.64%) were male and 93 (55.36%) were female. Most of the medical students (63.77%) were 23 years and above followed by 22years (28.98%) age group. 98.81% (166) study subjects were using internet. More than three forth study subjects 132 (78.57%) using internet daily. 76.79% accesses academic related material. Google was found universal search engine. Conclusion: It is needful to include short subject/courses in basic computer science and its application in curriculum of medical students to fully utilize online resources to improve their learning and quality of patient care.