Librarians' story of the PDA Service at the University of Queensland Rural Clinical School

INVITED SPEAKERS. Sponsored by OVID

Kaye Lasserre, William Chun and Lisa Kruesi
University of Queensland

The University of Queensland Library and the School of Medicine conducted the first major Australian trial of Personal Digital Assistants' (PDAs) use by medical students at the Rural Clinical Schoolduring 2003 and 2004. The trial became an ongoing PDA Service from 2005, and its role in enhancing medical education has been demonstrated by continued funding and senior management support.

The PDA Service has helped to provide key health information resources for students on rural placements. Adoption of the Service has addressed some of the equity issues caused by inadequate Information Communication and Technology (ICT) infrastructure beyond urban centres. Rural students' use of information at the point of care facilitates learning and establishes good practice for future clinical decision making.

This presentation will discuss the Rural Clinical School Librarians' story about the implementation of the PDA Service, the lessons learnt and why it was a component of "An Integrated Package of Innovative Rural Medical Education:Enhancing Student Outcomes and Increasing the Rural Medical Workforce", 2006 Carrick Award Winner for Australian University Teaching.