He regularly exchanges his files with other residents through infrared connections on their palmtops. When the next shift of residents arrives, everyone shares information on patients. Using computer technology to save and manage time is also popular among residents. At Evanston Hospital in Evanston, Ill., Northwestern University residents use computers to speed the process of creating patient records that incorporate evidence-based literature. With the help of the Internet, they can incorporate the expertise of top researchers to explain their recommended treatment, something that they would not have time to do without computers.
Residents often truncate that process because of time.
Dr. Khan also uses his palmtop computer to help him manage his time. My handheld computer has an alarm that alerts me when meetings are coming up. Educational directives One factor driving the growing emphasis on medical computing in residency programs is pressure from accrediting organizations. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, for example, now requires training programs to give residents a basic introduction to computers and their application in clinical epidemiology, biostatistics and decision-making. The standards also require programs to teach residents to become proficient in electronic literature retrieval, computer-assisted instruction and electronic information networks.