INFORMATICS AT THE MEDICAL-SCHOOL AND POS TGRADUATE EDUCATION CENTERSFOR HEALTH-PROFESSIONALS - SURVEY OF THE SPANISH SITUATION

BACKGROUND: Informatics is acquiring an increasing relevance in the me dical profession. METHODS: During the year 1993, a survey was carried out at the medical schools (MS) and postgraduate education centres (PE C) in Epidemiology, Public Health and Health Administration of Spain, on the available computer infrastructure and the teaching activities. The percentages of respondants were 81 at the MS and 100 at the PEC. R ESULTS: 81% of the MS and 100% of the PEC had a computer laboratory, m ainly equipped with personal computers with MS-DOS operating system. T he use of general purpose applications was predominant. The number of students using the computer laboratory was very variable (5-300 per da y). 48% of the MS organized courses on microcomputer applications. 66% of the MS included subjects related with informatics in the new curri cula. CONCLUSIONS: Use of computers in the Spanish MS is heterogeneous . Compared with the Nord-American MS, they do not usually use applicat ions of computer-assisted-instruction. The use of the computers at the PEC is much more generalized.