Information Technology for postgraduate education: survey of facilities and skills in the South West Deanery

Objective To determine the Information Technology (IT) infrastructure available to, and IT skills of, obstetric specialist registrars across the South West Deanery. Design Open prospective study. Setting NHS Hospitals in the South West Deanery. Methods Two separate surveys. Firstly, the computer equipment available to trainees was determined at each hospital in the deanery on site using a software programme. Secondly, IT skills of a sample of 22 specialist registrars were assessed using a checklist at a series of four workshops. Main outcome measures Computers with sufficient specification to use CD-ROMs, to access the Internet, and to support data-, audio- and video-conferencing. The number of trainees with IT skills to use a computer-aided learning package and the Internet. Results Sixty-six percent of trainees have access to a computer with a CD-ROM drive. Sixty-six percent also have access to the Internet at their place of work. Thirteen percent have access to data-conferencing but there were no computers in the Deanery able to support audio- or video-conferencing. Twenty-five percent of trainees have no IT skills and require basic training in the use of computers. Thirty-six percent of our sample would require training to be able to use computer-based tutorials programs. Seventy-seven percent of trainees require training to be able to use the Internet without assistance. Conclusion A significant minority of trainees do not have access to computers with sufficient specification to run basic tutorial programmes or access the Internet. Similarly, a large minority of trainees do not even have a basic knowledge of computer technology and IT training is required for the majority of trainees for them to reap the potential benefits which computer-based tutorials systems and the Internet can give.