Digital Doctor: The Internet as a Tool in the Arsenal of a Future Pediatrician

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Introduction. It is impossible to imagine the modern world without the Internet, and medical education is no exception. Today, the Internet has become a key tool for learning, including for medical students [1, 2]. However, despite its vast potential, it also presents certain challenges. Many students struggle to find reliable information, which is particularly important in the era of evidence-based medicine [3]. A lack of critical thinking skills and digital literacy limits the potential for using digital technologies in the professional activities of future doctors [4].

Objective of the Study. The aim of our research was to explore the impact of the Internet on medical students’ education, identify the main barriers to its use, and develop recommendations to overcome them.

Materials and Methods. The study involved 105 students of Ivanovo State Medical University, enrolled in the 1st to 6th years of the Pediatrics Faculty. A survey was conducted using a custom-designed questionnaire containing 35 questions. Respondents could select one or multiple answers. We analyzed the frequency of Internet use, preferred sources of information, level of trust in the data, and students’ involvement in professional communication. The results were processed using descriptive statistical methods (calculation of relative indicators).

Results. Our study showed that the Internet plays a crucial role in the education of medical students: 77.1% of respondents use it daily. The most popular resources remain search engines (80%) and medical portals (60%). However, scientific journals are significantly less in demand (42.9%), possibly due to limited access. Medical online resources are mainly used for studying (88.6%) and searching for information (68.6%). However, there is a comparatively low interest in webinars, conferences, and professional networking. Improving access to specialized resources could increase their use.

Students prefer practically applicable information: clinical guidelines are in demand among 85.7%, while publications of scientific research results attract only 45.7%. For professional communication, students most frequently use VK and Telegram (68.6%), whereas specialized medical platforms are popular with only 5.7%. The main sources of medical information remain Russian specialized websites (71.4%) and PubMed (40%). The low interest in international platforms (e.g., UpToDate — 8.6%) may be due to financial limitations or language barriers.

Students take a critical approach to online information: 45.7% verify its accuracy with primary sources, and 51.4% cite lack of trust as a major barrier. Misinformation in medicine is widespread — 54.3% of respondents reported encountering it. Patients also face this issue and often find it difficult to distinguish between true and false information. As a result, future doctors face the additional task of debunking myths found online.

Students consider information on diseases and prevention most useful for patients (60%), especially when posted on official websites. At the same time, online tests (11.4%) and forums (2.9%) are less trusted. This highlights the need to develop students' skills in information evaluation and critical thinking.

At our university, 91.4% of future doctors consider online education beneficial, but only as a supplement to traditional training, providing access to current materials and convenient learning formats. For self-study, articles (82.9%) and video lectures (71.4%) are most in demand. Among the online education formats offered by our university, pre-recorded lectures (31.4%) and courses with quizzes (28.6%) lead in popularity. It’s worth noting that Russian-language content is critically important for 65.7% of students.

Telemedicine is viewed positively by respondents — 60% of students plan to use it in the future, and even 2.9% already have experience with this technology, emphasizing the need for additional training. Despite existing barriers such as limited diagnostic capabilities (45.7%), data security concerns (17.1%), and the digital literacy level of patients (17.1%), mastering the principles of telemedicine remains important for future doctors. Most students (74.2%) support maintaining professional profiles on social media but prefer to limit personal information, indicating the need for balance between professional activity and privacy.

Conclusion. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that despite the widespread use of the Internet for educational purposes, medical students are still not fully aware of the potential of digital technologies in healthcare. Students face barriers such as financial limitations, language barriers, and the need to filter information. They are interested in clinical cases and new treatment methods but pay less attention to legal aspects. Therefore, it is particularly important to formulate recommendations for educators and curriculum developers to integrate digital skills and tools into the training of future physicians:

• Development of digital literacy and critical thinking (training students to verify information sources, explaining principles of evidence-based medicine, analyzing examples of fake news and misinformation in healthcare; integrating database search skills and work with scientific publications (including Cochrane and WHO resources) into the curriculum).
• Teaching proper use of medical internet resources (demonstrating reliable platforms such as PubMed, Cochrane, WHO, and NCSPM; explaining how to distinguish trustworthy articles from promotional or speculative ones).
• Creating high-quality educational content for students (using modern formats such as infographics, video analyses, interactive cases; regularly updating materials based on new research; engaging students in creating educational and scientific content).
• Developing telemedicine skills and understanding ethical aspects of online work (organizing sessions to teach telemedicine fundamentals; reviewing case studies on patient data protection; teaching responsible use of social media for professional purposes while observing medical ethics).

These steps will help future doctors use digital technologies consciously and effectively in their professional activities.

About the authors

Victoria Sergeevna Ivanova

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Ivanovo State Medical University» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Author for correspondence.
Email: ivanova06victoria@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0009-3606-4464
Russian Federation, 8 Sheremetevsky Prospekt, Ivanovo, Ivanovo Region, 153012, Russian Federation

Anastasia Vladimirovna Shishova

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Ivanovo State Medical University» of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation

Email: shishova@inbox.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0471-0790

M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Professor of the Department of Outpatient Pediatrics, Vice-Rector for Educational Affairs

8 Sheremetevsky Prospekt, Ivanovo, Ivanovo Region, 153012, Russian Federation

References

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