Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Putra Malaysia
Abstract
Computer proficiency has become necessary in many areas of medicine, administration,
clinical practices, research, as well as education. The need for greater competence in
information and communication technologies (ICT) by doctors and medical students is
increasingly recognised. Objectives: This study was undertaken to determine the knowledge,
attitude and practices on ICT in the medical students of a local university. Methods: A
cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted among medical students (Years 1-5) from
December 2005 to May 2006 in Universiti Putra Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire
was used to collect data. Descriptive statistics were used to obtain frequencies for all
variables studied. Results: There were 343 respondents aged 18-29 years old. The results
showed 82.2% of the respondents (82.2%) were comfortable using computers after entering
medical school and 89.2% believed that ICT and computers skills are important for doctors.
About 81.3% of the respondents were aware of the role of ICT and computers in learning
medicine, 90.4% had used presentation packages, and 83.4% used word processing and
search engines as software tools. Conclusion: The findings of this study show that
medical students are knowledgeable and do have skills in information technology (IT) and
computers. They are also aware of the role of information technology (IT) and computers
in medicin