Health care workers in Africa access a broad range of topics using evidence-based online medical information

Health care workers (HCW) rely on Internet-based medical resources to obtain current evidence-based clinical guidelines. While such resources are being used with increasing frequency in developed countries, they have not been broadly employed in resource-limited settings (RLS). To investigate the feasibility and the types of medical content used by HCW in RLS, we studied one Internet-based medical resource used in the United States, (UpToDate (c)) in four hospitals in Africa. Health care workers were trained on how to use this resource and surveyed over a six month study period. Automated topic tracking found that HCW searched a variety of medical topics. About 78% of HCW reported daily or weekly use of the Internet-based medical resource and 70% felt the tool was very useful for teaching. All users report the tool increased their clinical knowledge. This descriptive study suggests that Internet-based medical information resources are feasible in RLS and are accessed for a broad variety of medical topics. Supplemental content providing guidance when minimal diagnostic and therapeutic options exist could increase its relevance in RLS. With increased availability, Internet-based medical information could enhance current global health care initiatives to improve providers' knowledge, clinical practice and potentially patient outcomes.