Providing relevant information to rural practitioners: A study of a medical information system

Abstract

A medical information system (MIS) pilot project was conducted to provide reading material to physicians in rural communities to supplement their continuing medical education. Stimulated by the patient problems they encountered, the physicians phoned questions into a telephone answering machine. A trained librarian conducted a search and sent the physician one or two key articles. The question and the response were simultaneously sent to a volunteer consultant who reviewed the materials for appropriateness and had the option of forwarding additional material. Over the course of the project, 240 questions were submitted to the MIS by the 47 participating physicians in 10 communities in rural Alberta, Canada. The average number of questions submitted per physician and per community was 5.1 and 24, respectively. Physicians received initial information in a median time of 7.3 hr. A decentralized option enabled physicians to conduct their own computerized searches with support available from the University of Calgary as required. As a result of the system's use during the pilot project, it has been established on a subscription basis for all practitioners in southern Alberta.