Dartmouth Biomedical Libraries

Library Grand Rounds [Archives]

The Handheld PDA: A Valuable Clinical Information Tool
September 18, 2001

Handheld "Personal Digital Assistants" (PDAs) such as the popular Palm devices are rapidly becoming a tool of choice for the busy clinician, resident, and medical student. With handhelds, medical professionals can access and manage information at the point-of-care where decision support is crucial. Handheld devices can provide patient tracking, clinical diagnosis support, drug reference, medical dictionaries and calculators, calendars, and contact lists - all in a device that you can easily carry in your pocket and access instantly.

This Library Grand Rounds provided an overview of this rapidly changing technology and updates on activities at Dartmouth-Hitchcock and Dartmouth Medical School/Dartmouth College. We illustrated some of the resources available locally and on the Web to help you fit a handheld into your future.

Agenda

• Introduction
  Bill Garrity, Director of Biomedical Libraries
• Hardware and Operating System Overview (Powerpoint presentation)
  Dave Izzo, Manager of Computing and Media Services, Biomedical Libraries
• Current Initiatives
  • Bill Weyrick, Director of User Support, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
  • Steve McAllister, Director of Information Technology, Dartmouth Medical School (Powerpoint presentation)
  • Todd Burdett, Dartmouth Medical School Student '04 (Powerpoint presentation)

Resource Links

• Palm OS
• Palm
• TRG/ HandEra
• Sony
• Windows Pocket PC (CE)
  • HP
  • Casio
• CNET.com currently lists over 80 devices in hardware reviews and price indexes.

PDA Database Software

• PC-Based
• Pendragon Software
• Satellite Forms 4.0
• Microsoft Windows-Based Applications (e.g., Access; SQL Server)
• Handheld Applications (Can be downloaded from Tucows.com)
• HanDBase 2.75
• Jfile4.1
• List
• Transform

PDA Medical Resources

• HandheldMed http://www.handheldmed.com software (including patient tracker), links
• PDA Md http://www.pdamd.com articles, learning center, products, discussion, news

General PDA Resources

• CNET http://www.cnet.com/ --> hardware reviews --> handheld provides reviews on PDAs with purchasing advice, pricing, etc
• PC Magazine http://www.pcmagazine.com/ articles, reviews, software, links
• TUCOWS http://www.tucows.com/ general computer site which includes PDA info — software, games

Library Grand Rounds are a forum for presenting information resources and tools of interest to Dartmouth clinicians. Please contact us biomedical.libraries.education@dartmouth.edu, if you have questions, comments, or suggestions for future Library Grand Rounds.