Helen Lee Robertson*, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada Jill Boruff, McGill University, Montreal, Canada Dagmara Chojecki, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Dale Storie, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada Lee-Anne Utholz, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada Track: Research Presentation Topic: Mobile & Tablet Health Applications Presentation Type: Oral presentation Submission Type: Single Presentation Building: Mermaid Room: Room 2 - Aldgate/Bishopsgate Date: 2013-09-24 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM Last modified: 2013-09-25

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Background
Mobile devices (smartphones and tablet computers) have been widely adopted by medical professionals as tools for accessing clinical information. Health and academic libraries have tried to meet that demand by providing institutionally licensed mobile information resources. Libraries perceive challenges to making mobile information resources and services available to library users to include: the availability of products usable on mobile platforms and that can be institutionally licensed; authentication processes required to control access to them, and the variety of software platforms that need to be supported.
Objective
The libraries at four faculties of medicine in Canada investigated how students, residents, and faculty members use mobile devices such as smartphones (e.g., iPhone, Android, Blackberry) and tablet computers (e.g., iPad) in their studies and clinical settings and what they perceive to be barriers. The results of this study suggest approaches for health libraries to effectively support mobile technology and collections for their clients.
Methods
In early 2012, an electronic survey was distributed at four Canadian universities (University of Alberta, University of Calgary, McGill University, University of Ottawa) to medical undergraduate and graduate students, residents, faculty members and clinical instructors via departmental mailing lists, relevant websites, and personal contacts. It asked in what clinical situations respondents use their mobile devices, what types of information they seek, what resources they use to answer questions, what intellectual and technical barriers keep them from finding what they need, and how libraries can support their needs.
Results
There were over 1200 responses to the survey. Most (92.6%) reported owning a mobile device and 41.8% reported owning both a smartphone and a tablet. The most commonly reported uses were finding drug information (73.4%), clinical calculations (57.9%), and taking notes (51.6%). Respondents also used these devices to search for and read journal articles (46.5% and 50.2% respectively). Almost half (47.5%) used their mobile devices to access medical resources more than once a day. Wireless access in the hospital or clinic was reported to be the main barrier to using mobile devices for information seeking (70.7%). Authentication and installation problems were also technological barriers (39%). Knowing what resources were available was the second most reported barrier (55.8%). Only 43% of participants knew the library offered medical mobile resources; of those who had accessed them, 96.8% found them useful. Respondents would like the library to provide institution specific online guides (64.3%), hands-on workshops on using medical mobile resources (42.7%) and drop-in troubleshooting assistance (39.2%).
Conclusions
Technological and intellectual barriers do not prevent medical trainees and faculty from regularly using mobile devices for their medical information seeking. However, barriers to access and a lack of awareness might be keeping them from optimally using reliable, library-licensed resources. Mobile devices will have an ever-growing presence in medical education and the practice of medicine. Libraries and vendors need to work together to better facilitate effective access to these tools.