Transforming medical education with UpToDate: A talk with Prof. Dr. Mesut Yilmaz

Q: What are the benefits of using UpToDate in patient care and medical education?

Using UpToDate directly improves the quality of patient care since it provides immediate access to the most recent clinical guidelines and research. The reason this happens is because it supports highly informed decision-making, helping reduce variability of care and ensuring clinicians are practicing at the cutting edge of their fields.

Q: What do you believe sets UpToDate apart from other clinical resources?

UpToDate’s reliability and user-friendly interface are two of the key benefits of using the tool in patient care. This is because leading experts peer review its content. But beyond this, the interface now offers language support, expanding the diversity of clinicians who will find it useful. On the back end, it integrates well with EHRs in many countries, making it indispensable in medical education and practice.

Q: How do you see UpToDate evolving as healthcare continues to change?

I think UpToDate will include even more features and possibly even expand the personalized recommendations it offers, especially through integrated telemedicine platforms. There’s also definitely potential with AI, which could allow users to interact more dynamically with the tool by asking questions or identifying ways to reduce unnecessary tests and procedures.

Q: Have you seen any stand out stories or memorable experiences using UpToDate?

We once had a particularly complex case of a severe infection. The treatment plan required a deep understanding of drug interactions and the most recent research. Thanks to UpToDate, our team was able to quickly pull the latest information and immediately adjust the patient’s treatment plan.

This is just one of many examples of how the kind of evidence-based information UpToDate offers can be a game changer in patient care.

Q: What advice would you give to other healthcare professionals about the growing importance of UpToDate in medical education and practice?

You need UpToDate in your daily practice. With the growing complexity of drug interactions, research, and developments in the medical field, it’s simply impossible to remember every detail that our patients need.

A reliable resource like UpToDate supports your decision-making with the latest evidence in a way that reduces professional errors and even helps mitigate the financial burden of the range of additional resources and subscriptions that you would need to replicate the benefits that UpToDate offers.

Q: How satisfied are you overall with your experience with UpToDate?

I can’t overstate the positive experience I’ve had. It’s been a reliable resource across decades of my career and I’m delighted to see how it’s expanded as an indispensable tool—for me in my clinical responsibilities and teaching, and for my students and future doctors that serve the people of Türkiye.

Q: How can the widespread use of UpToDate improve overall health outcomes in Türkiye?

Our health system struggles under the weight of unnecessary tests and procedures. UpToDate is incredibly useful in addressing this not only by reducing the need for tests, but also streamlining clinical decision making and enhancing efficiency. The end result is improved patient care and enhanced cost efficiency.

Ideally, I would like to see UpToDate considered at a more systemic level, even for the Ministry of Health so that it’s accessible to physicians in our state hospitals. These organizations are in dire need of financial efficiency and UpToDate can reduce the reliance on disparate resources and subscriptions to improve the overall financial health of the system.

The transformative impact of UpToDate on medical education

As more medical education institutions in Türkiye implement UpToDate, more of the country will benefit from evidence-based resources. In the future, with UpToDate’s potential to expand its features, expect to see the tool evolve in ways that further support all levels of health professionals in the country.