Most medical English learners now study with a phone in their pocket. Many teachers and providers have moved their materials online. But do learners actually prefer digital materials? And do they learn as effectively from them? The answer is more interesting than a simple yes or no.
The largest recent study of medical students’ reading habits comes from Syria. In 2026, Almansour and colleagues surveyed more than 2,200 medical students (Advances in Medical Education and Practice). Eight in ten preferred printed materials. Most said they could focus and remember better with print, and they were much more likely to highlight, annotate and review printed texts. Seven in ten even printed out digital materials so they could study them.
Other studies of medical students and junior doctors show the same pattern. Learners value the convenience of e-books, but many prefer reading in print, especially for long texts.
The research on reading comprehension points in the same direction. Two meta-analyses (studies that combine the results of many earlier studies), by Delgado and colleagues and by Clinton, found a small but consistent advantage for reading on paper. Interestingly, Clinton also found that readers on screens were more overconfident: they thought they had understood more than they had.
However, the overall picture for reading is not straightforward. The same Syrian study also showed that in practice, about two-thirds used their mobile phones for academic reading. And for shorter texts of under seven pages, preferences were almost evenly divided between print and screen.
So, it seems that learners use different formats for different purposes. Long, dense reading tends to happen on paper, while shorter texts are often read on a screen.
Much of the print-versus-screen research seems to be about one skill: reading. However, learning medical English clearly involves much more. Learners need to listen to patients, speak clearly and empathetically, write accurate letters and notes, and for those working in English-speaking or multilingual environments, practise until these skills become automatic. Paper cannot do most of this easily. Digital materials, on the other hand, can.
A 2026 study from Khon Kaen University in Thailand shows what is possible (Medical Science Educator). Muthukumar and colleagues tested a structured web-based English for Medical Purposes (EMP) course with 535 pre-clinical medical students. The course was linked to the medical subjects the students were studying at the same time. Their scores on a medical English test covering all four skills rose from 65 to 79, which is a large effect. The biggest improvements were in speaking and writing. The proportion of students at advanced or expert level increased from 31% to 90%.
The authors argue that online delivery suits medical students with heavy workloads, and that it can reach large groups. The study has limitations, as it had no control group, and the EMP course developers carried out the research. However, with that caveat in mind, it is evidence that well-designed digital EMP courses can work at scale, especially for productive skills.
For healthcare professionals, the practical advantages are also clear. Nurses and doctors looking to improve their professional English or preparing for OET, for example, often study around shifts, family life and long commutes. Digital materials let them:
The evidence suggests that the question is not ‘paper or screen?’ but ‘which format for which task?’
Our online medical English courses, including English for Doctors, English for Nurses and our OET preparation courses, are designed around these principles. They focus on the things that digital materials do best: listening to realistic clinical interactions, recording speaking practice with a patient, interactive pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar tasks, and self-checking quizzes at the end of each unit. They work alongside classroom interaction with features that enable teachers to track student activity, set assignments, upload their own materials and create online discussions.
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