Smartphone usage among Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery students at the University of Papua New Guinea: A survey

Abstract

Introduction: Smartphones and digital technology have been increasingly important in medical education in most countries, but have only recently become widely available in Papua New Guinea. Our study aimed to examine the views and experiences of medical students on smartphone use at the University of Papua New Guinea School of Medicine and Health Sciences.Methodology: A pretested self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on smartphone use in student learning. Data was entered into Microsoft Excel 2019 and analyzed using SPSS version 22.Results: One hundred and sixty-one (78%) of 206 enrolled medical students responded. All participants owned a smartphone. Seventy-seven percent (124/161) used the available school Wi-fi for internet connectivity, and 98.8 % (n=159) purchased mobile data. Most (72.7%, n=117) of the students spent more than an hour daily on their phone. Smartphones were used to access learning applications and websites, Google, YouTube, online libraries, medical journals, note-taking during seminars and tutorials, and share learning material with colleagues. Seventy-seven (47.8%) spent more than an hour each day accessing reading and learning materials, and 56 (34.8%) spent more than one hour a day on social media activities. The most frequently accessed Medical Journals were the British Medical Journal (27.5%, n=45) and the Papua New Guinea Medical Journal (28.8%, n=47).Conclusion: The study provides insight into smartphone use among medical students at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Most students use smartphones for learning, and the results of this study should inform the further integration of digital tools in medical education in Papua New Guinea.