Staying Up to Date and Managing Information Overload

As medical educators, we strive to implement up-to-date, evidence-based practices in our teaching, assessment, and research endeavors. One way to stay current in our field is to read the literature. While this seems straightforward, the multiple sources, varied formats, and sheer volume of available readings often lead to a feeling of information overload—or to a decision not to read at all.1 To avoid information overload and efficiently separate the wheat from the chaff, strategies for curating the literature are needed.To help mitigate information overload, individuals have turned to strategies for managing and filtering the onslaught of available information. At the center of an effective strategy is finding the sources that identify the most relevant literature specific to an individual's needs and interests. Strategies vary depending on a person's individual information needs and personal preferences. Ironically, the very technology that is partly responsible for information overload can help manage it.2 This Rip Out outlines several tools and strategies for keeping current with the medical education literature, including tips for filtering without becoming overwhelmed.