Epocrates: Medical Students Prefer to Consult Their iPhones for EHRs

Epocrates, the folks behind the #1 mobile drug reference resource used by healthcare providers at the point of care, believe technology is a way of life for today’s medical students with the majority choosing clinical references on their iPhone to answer their questions, rather than choosing to address teachers and peers.

An annual survey conducted by Epocrates Inc. - Future Physicians of America - has recently revealed that medical students expect availability when they practice medicine, but, most of all, believe in the value of electronic health records (EHRs).

Epocrates surveyed more than 700 medical students to see their opinions about a range of topics impacting the medical profession, said the provider of mobile drug reference tools.

A third of these dreamed of becoming a doctor since childhood, Epocrates noted.

Delving into the key survey findings, Epocrates said that “Students report turning to mobile or online references like Epocrates first for help with clinical questions. Students this year were twice as likely to turn to mobile references versus respondents in 2009.”

“Nearly 80 percent of students report using Epocrates on a daily basis, with the majority using it multiple times throughout the day to confirm proper drug doses and check for adverse reactions or drug-drug interactions,” the developer said.

Also noteworthy, according to the survey results, medical students prefer the latest smartphones too, Apple’s being the most appreciated among medical students, by far.

“Apple mobile devices – the iPhone and iPod touch – have soared in popularity with nearly 70 percent of students currently using the device, a 37 percent increase over 2009 respondents,” Epocrates said.

“BlackBerry and Android devices have the second and third highest adoption, respectively,” survey results showed.

Many of them also plan to upgrade to a newer smartphone within the next year. Of those, “more than 60 percent plan to purchase the iPhone and nearly a quarter will buy an Android device.

Finally, Epocrates outlines that students also have high expectations for electronic health records.

Visit Epocrates here to learn more about the company, or use the link below to download the free Epocrates app for iPhone straight away.

Download Epocrates app for iOS (Free)