Use of Critical Incident Technique for Collecting Data in Health Care Settings of Nepal

Library Herald Year : 2012, Volume : 50, Issue : 1 First page : ( 72) Last page : ( 88) Print ISSN : 0024-2292. Online ISSN : 0976-2469. Use of Critical Incident Technique for Collecting Data in Health Care Settings of Nepal

Pradhan Mohan Raj Associate Professor, Central Department of Library and Information Science, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. E-mail: mpradhan@healthnet.org.np

Abstract The objective of this paper is to explore the utilization of Information Technology to fulfill the information needs of physicians in Nepal. Critical Incident Technique as an open ended questionnaire were used for collecting data. Three taxonomies were used for this purpose. This study reveals that patient care issues have motivated searches information through Internet by physicians. The reasons span among treatment, prognosis, diagnosis and preventing disease. It can be concluded that time access and retrieval of information is beneficial for knowledge update and life saving in many cases. The other benefits include reduced cost of care, the advancement of research and medical education by physicians.

Keywords Critical incident technique, information needs of physcians, health care settings, healthnet Nepal,Pradhan Mohan Raj.