Abstract :
Background: The use of medical software applications has changed the clinical practice over the last decade. The usage
of smart phone among the population is growing rapidly, including healthcare professionals, but the extent of the increase
in their knowledge and practice due to the enhanced usage of smart phone is not known. This study aims at determining
the knowledge, attitude and preferences of physicians regarding the use of Medical Apps in their professional practice.
Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted in the governmental primary health care centres in Jeddah, Saudi
Arabia, using a sample size of 178, selected through randomized cluster sampling. Self- administered questionnaires were
used for collecting the data. Results: The study revealed that 92% of the responders were aware of the availability of
Medical Apps and most of the doctors had a positive attitude towards the use of Medical Apps. The most prominent use of
Medical Apps was to get additional medical information to update their knowledge. The majority of responders had already
installed them on their smart phones and most of them used the Apps at least once in a day. Medscape was the most
common medical app used by the study population. Conclusion: The findings of the study show the existence of good
knowledge and a positive attitude towards the use of Medical Apps among the doctors. Most frequently used applications
were free Medical Apps.
Keyword :
Smart phones, Medical Apps, Primary care Physician.