“PDAs will be as common as the stethoscope in medicine in the future.” Bob Trelease

1. “PDAs will be as common as the stethoscope in medicine in the future.”Bob Trelease PDA Resourceshttp://web.dohms.gov.ae/medlib/remote/pda-m.htmDOHMS Continuing Education DepartmentMedical Libraries SectionBy:Bakheet Beshtawy Systems LibrarianEmail: bsbeshtawy@dohms.gov.aeWebsite: http://web.dohms.gov.ae/medlib Medical Libraries secion

2. Definitions: What is a PDA? • Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are pocket-sized computers that can be used to store and access information • Remarkable, tiny, fully functional computer that you can hold in one hand • Handheld computers that originally were designed as personal organizers, and they do this really well Medical Libraries secion

3. Terminology: PocketPC • Handheld • Hand computer • PDA • Wireless computer • Palm • PocketPC • iPAQ, i-mate, hp, trio, smartphone Medical Libraries secion

4. PDA Parts: • Microprocessor • Operating system • Solid-state memory • Batteries • LCD display • Input device - buttons in combination with touch-screen or keyboard • Input/output ports • Desktop PC software Medical Libraries secion

5. PDA Types: Operating System Medical Libraries secion

6. PDA Types: Operating Systems EPOC operating system from Symbian which is a joint venture between Psion, Nokia, Ericsson and Motorola. Most popular in Europe to handle mobile communications. Medical Libraries secion

7. Palm and PocketPC: PalmPocketPc • Cheaper More expensive • Smaller/lighter Bulky • Longer battery Low battery • More resources Less resources (Growing rapidly) • Simple to use More complex • Less memory (8-32MB) Large memory (32-128MB) • Slower (33MHz) Faster (>200MHz • Not multitask Run multiple-tasks Medical Libraries secion

8. To buy a PDA: Five major issues to consider. • Memory • Input • Screen quality • Connectivity • Size Medical Libraries secion

9. Connectivity: • Each device has a cable that can share information with PCs. This sharing is called synchronisation. • Information can also be shared between handheld computers. This sharing is called beaming. • Infrared (IR) • Bluetooth • Wireless Network*** Medical Libraries secion

10. Beaming Source: http://www.cbil.vcu.edu/mac/events/2001/mclendon.ppt Medical Libraries secion

11. PDAs disadvantages: • Confidentiality • Security of data: ensuring security of your patients' data is vital and requires some effort • Misplaced or lost • Needs budget to buy software, textbooks, and hardware expansions Medical Libraries secion

12. What applications do they put on their PDA’s? • Personal use and time management • Patient tracking • Billing and Coding systems • Prescription writing • Medical references (Books, Journals, News..) • Drug information • Medical calculators • EBM - Clinical guidelines • Differential Diagnosis • Access to Medical LiteratureMedline • Web Access, email • Word processing (Office Word, Excel, …) Medical Libraries secion

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14. Why use a PDA? (General ) • Mobility (On-the-go, 24/7access, small, light) • Simplicity (Ease of use and understanding) • Flexibility (Able to meet a variety of changing needs) • Functionality (Extensive applications) • Easy interconnectivity (beam and sync to other users, desktop, network) • Organization (coordinates and consolidates schedules, tasks) • Low Cost: relative to other forms of computers Medical Libraries secion

15. Why use a PDA? (Medicine) • New connections between medical knowledge and patient care • Excellent tools for managing clinical information and accessing it at the point of care • Handheld computers are suited to clinical practice because they are small, affordable, and easy to use; can read handwriting; and have a long battery life * • They can run a wide range of medical software • The devices support clinical teamwork by making it easy to share information with other clinicians' PCs and handheld computers *Al-Ubaydli M, BMJ . 2004 May 15;328(7449):1181-4 Medical Libraries secion

16. …Continued Why use a PDA? (Medicine) • Improve access by medical staff to patient and drug information (Decreasing medication error rates) • An effective tool for collection of health data. • An effective tool for information dissemination. • For Continuing Education Medical Libraries secion

17. Third of Canadian physicians are using a PDA. More than half of MDs under age 35 now using PDAs.* Analysts predict that by 2004, 20% of physicians will use handhelds for e-prescribing, ordering and checking lab tests, capturing charges, and dictating notes. (Fisher J) *Source: More than half of MDs under age 35 now using PDAs. By: Martin, Shelley. CMAJ. Vol.169 Issue 9, 2003 Medical Libraries secion

18. Medline/PubMed for PDA: Medical Libraries secion

19. DOHMS Libraries: PDA • Services (Training Sessions, Training by appointment, Service Evaluation). • Creation a PDA format forms and documents. • Resources (Web site, FIRSTConsult, Bibliographies). Browse Resources prepared by DOHMS Libraries at: http://web.dohms.gov.ae/medlib/remote/pda-m.htm ********* Librarians must become familiar with this new technology changes and their libraries will need to be prepared to meet the changes. It is inevitable that medical libraries will become centres for PDA information, support, publication, education and synchronization for both professionals and patients. Medical Libraries secion

20. More info = better decisions Knowledge should be held in tools that are kept up to date and used routinely—not in heads, which are expensive to load and faulty in the retention and processing of knowledge Good medical practice requires tools to extend the human mind's limited capacity to recall and process large numbers of relevant variables Medical Libraries secion

21. Thankyou Medical Libraries secion