Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
Abstract BackgroundNote-taking is a method that has long been used to optimize studying. Recent innovations have seen the introduction of digital note-taking using software apps. Although the current state of digital note-taking has been verified mainly among students, the use...
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JMIR Publications
2025-05-01
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| Series: | JMIR Formative Research |
| Online Access: | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e55087 |
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| author | Taiju Miyagami Yuji Nishizaki Taro Shimizu Yu Yamamoto Kiyoshi Shikino Koshi Kataoka Masanori Nojima Gautam A Deshpande Toshio Naito Yasuharu Tokuda |
| author_facet | Taiju Miyagami Yuji Nishizaki Taro Shimizu Yu Yamamoto Kiyoshi Shikino Koshi Kataoka Masanori Nojima Gautam A Deshpande Toshio Naito Yasuharu Tokuda |
| author_sort | Taiju Miyagami |
| collection | DOAJ |
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Abstract
BackgroundNote-taking is a method that has long been used to optimize studying. Recent innovations have seen the introduction of digital note-taking using software apps. Although the current state of digital note-taking has been verified mainly among students, the use and efficacy of digital note-taking by physicians in actual clinical practice remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to understand the characteristics of note-taking residents using a note-taking app and determine whether there is a difference in basic medical knowledge compared to that of nondigital note-taking residents.
ObjectiveThis study investigated the use of a digital note-taking app by Japanese resident physicians.
MethodsThis analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in resident physicians during the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE), a clinical competency examination for resident physicians. The GM-ITE is a multiple-choice test with a maximum score of 80 points. Using a structured questionnaire, we collected data on the sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, postgraduate year [PGY], or others), clinical training, GM-ITE scores, and the use of an app for note-taking to record case experience. The GM-ITE evaluated the scores by dividing them into 4 groups (groups 1‐4), in order from the lowest to the highest. We conducted a multivariate analysis of sociodemographic, clinical training, and GM-ITE score variables to determine the independent predictors of the use of a digital note-taking app.
ResultsThis study included 3833 participants; 1242 (32.4%) were female, 1988 (51.8%) were PGY 1 residents, 2628 (68.6%) were training in a rural area, 3236 (84.4%) were in community-based hospitals, and 1750 (45.3%) were app users. The app users were more likely to be in their PGY 2, to work in a community-based hospital, to have general internal medicine rotation experience, to use online medical resources more frequently, and to have more time for self-study. The results showed that the app users group had a higher GM-ITE score than the nonapp users group (adjusted odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.22; P
ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate note-taking by physicians in Japan using apps. The app users group had a higher GM-ITE score than the nonapp users, suggesting that they may have higher clinical skills. In the future, we would like to conduct more in-depth research on the facts of note-taking using apps, based on our results. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0c290900dac64beab32260cd6b1cf57a |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2561-326X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
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| series | JMIR Formative Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-0c290900dac64beab32260cd6b1cf57a2025-08-20T02:30:36ZengJMIR PublicationsJMIR Formative Research2561-326X2025-05-019e55087e5508710.2196/55087Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional StudyTaiju Miyagamihttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-4893-2224Yuji Nishizakihttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-6964-6702Taro Shimizuhttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3788-487XYu Yamamotohttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-2247-4963Kiyoshi Shikinohttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-3721-3443Koshi Kataokahttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-8093-4289Masanori Nojimahttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-8788-2522Gautam A Deshpandehttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-0293-8911Toshio Naitohttp://orcid.org/0000-0003-1646-9930Yasuharu Tokudahttp://orcid.org/0000-0002-9325-7934 Abstract BackgroundNote-taking is a method that has long been used to optimize studying. Recent innovations have seen the introduction of digital note-taking using software apps. Although the current state of digital note-taking has been verified mainly among students, the use and efficacy of digital note-taking by physicians in actual clinical practice remain unknown. Therefore, we sought to understand the characteristics of note-taking residents using a note-taking app and determine whether there is a difference in basic medical knowledge compared to that of nondigital note-taking residents. ObjectiveThis study investigated the use of a digital note-taking app by Japanese resident physicians. MethodsThis analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in resident physicians during the General Medicine In-Training Examination (GM-ITE), a clinical competency examination for resident physicians. The GM-ITE is a multiple-choice test with a maximum score of 80 points. Using a structured questionnaire, we collected data on the sociodemographic characteristics (sex, age, postgraduate year [PGY], or others), clinical training, GM-ITE scores, and the use of an app for note-taking to record case experience. The GM-ITE evaluated the scores by dividing them into 4 groups (groups 1‐4), in order from the lowest to the highest. We conducted a multivariate analysis of sociodemographic, clinical training, and GM-ITE score variables to determine the independent predictors of the use of a digital note-taking app. ResultsThis study included 3833 participants; 1242 (32.4%) were female, 1988 (51.8%) were PGY 1 residents, 2628 (68.6%) were training in a rural area, 3236 (84.4%) were in community-based hospitals, and 1750 (45.3%) were app users. The app users were more likely to be in their PGY 2, to work in a community-based hospital, to have general internal medicine rotation experience, to use online medical resources more frequently, and to have more time for self-study. The results showed that the app users group had a higher GM-ITE score than the nonapp users group (adjusted odds ratio 0.74, 95% CI 0.25 to 1.22; P ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate note-taking by physicians in Japan using apps. The app users group had a higher GM-ITE score than the nonapp users, suggesting that they may have higher clinical skills. In the future, we would like to conduct more in-depth research on the facts of note-taking using apps, based on our results.https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e55087 |
| spellingShingle | Taiju Miyagami Yuji Nishizaki Taro Shimizu Yu Yamamoto Kiyoshi Shikino Koshi Kataoka Masanori Nojima Gautam A Deshpande Toshio Naito Yasuharu Tokuda Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study JMIR Formative Research |
| title | Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full | Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_short | Evaluating the Use of a Note-Taking App by Japanese Resident Physicians: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study |
| title_sort | evaluating the use of a note taking app by japanese resident physicians nationwide cross sectional study |
| url | https://formative.jmir.org/2025/1/e55087 |
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