Accuracy of Electronic Information Resources in Answering Clinical Questions

Clinicians use information resources to help answer questions arising during patient care. Many clinical resources are now available, and the task of choosing wisely is becoming more difficult. Traditionally information resources have been considered helpful or neutral. Recent research shows that information resources can actually change a physician's initially correct answer to simulated clinical questions to being incorrect. This phenomenon has been seen in other information resources ranging from peers, virtual libraries, and MEDLINE to electronic ECGs and diagnostic decision support systems. The presentation will discuss the potentially negative effects of information resources and the magnitude of those effects.