Usage Pattern of Medical Information through the ClinicalKey Database among Medical Professionals of the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine

The rapid proliferation of medical information in the present era has important implications for patient care, patient education, and health professionals' research. This research examines the medical information usage pattern through the ClinicalKey database of medical professionals at the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine (PGIM), Sri Lanka. The study was conducted from June 2019 to June 2021 in the postgraduate trainers and trainees of PGIM. The method used has been based on the access of medical facts available in the ClinicalKey database and a survey conducted on the usage patterns of trainers and trainees of PGIM. The results showed a growing interest in ClinicalKey among the medical professionals at PGIM. The survey showed that the majority of respondents are MD trainees. The major purpose of using resources in ClinicalKey as indicated by the users is for updating knowledge, patient care, diagnosis and treatment. Many medical professionals use the e-book: Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases by Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett (9^th edition) and uses the journal, Surgery (Oxford).  According to the keywords, ‘surgery’ is highly searched for research needs and education purposes. The study shows that medical professionals use e-resources often and spend more time on them. It is found that they use e-resources most frequently at home (48.40%). that medical professionals mostly use laptops to access e-resources of ClinicalKey, followed by tablets. Among satisfaction levels with medical information, 71.4% of the medical professionals were happy with the ClinicalKey e-resources. 14.3% of medical professionals suggested an orientation program regarding the ClinicalKey database.