Portable digital assistants (PDAs) in dentistry: part II -- pilot study of PDA use in the dental clinic

Research design/methodology

TYPE: Qualitative evaluation of a simple crossover trial

VALIDITY: This pilot study was a technical and educational evaluation of PDA usage based on observations in clinics, online questionnaires and focus-group discussions. Several issues potentially affect the validity of the results:

• Some of the results were self-reported responses from the students using a Likert scale of choices

• Small sample size: only twelve undergraduate students participated in the trial

• Short time period: each group of six students was allowed to use the PDA for six weeks

• Lack of controls for previous usage of PDAs, computer literacy, and level of expertise with information and communication technology, as well as age, gender, and other demographics that could affect ease with PDA usage.

ENVIRONMENT: An undergraduate primary dental care clinic

Research question

Can PDAs improve undergraduate students’ access to a web-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)? What are the shortcomings and barriers to use?

The outcomes measured include users’ self-reported responses to questionnaires regarding the ease, benefits and limitations of PDA use; the PDA’s best and worst features; and the educational resources accessed.

Patient/Problem/Population definition

PATIENT: Undergraduate Year 4 clinical dentistry students
PROBLEM: Improving access to a web-based learning environment for students
POPULATION: Undergraduate Year 4 clinical dentistry students
TYPE: Education

Intervention

Wireless–enabled Toshiba Pocket PC E570 PDAs (32 MB CMOS Flash ROM and 64 MB SDRAM) were used for accessing course materials in a secured wireless network-based Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Comparison

PDA access to web-based VLE versus current desktop or laptop computer-based systems

Outcome

Of the learning resource pages visited, HTML instruction pages were accessed the most frequently at 29.8%.

Access statistics to web-based learning materials follow:

• Average number of logins per student: 18 (no range given)

• Average number of content pages visited: 12 (range: 3-25)

• Mean time spent on each page: 11 minutes 2 seconds (no range given)

Students’ opinions regarding the PDAs included:

• 91.7% wanted the PDA as part of their dental kit

• 75% chose ‘agreed’ or ‘strongly agreed’ that they own a PDA

• 16.7% did not want to own a PDA

• 50% were prepared to pay between £150-200 for a PDA

No tests of statistical significance were conducted in this qualitative study.

Application of results to patient care

PDAs may be a useful and convenient tool for student access to a web-based clinical learning environment.

Some teaching materials were not available online, which lead to confusion by both students and teaching staff with the expectation that information and communication technology should be universally available and fully integrated.

Further areas for research

• How will students use newer, portable mobile computing devices and technology in their undergraduate programs?

• Data security with confidential information in a networked wireless environment should be tested.

• Additionally, PDAs, with their simplified ergonomics and portability, could be evaluated for any infection control advantages over desktop computers.