- Email: [email protected]
Handheld medicine—handheld software to ease the day and improve patient care
RESIDENT RESOURCE CORNER
Handheld Medicine—Handheld Software to Ease the Day and Improve Patient Care James Suliburk, MD Department of General Surgery, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, Texas In the prior issue of Current Surgery, I wrote a column introducing the various models of handheld computers that are currently available. In this issue, I will introduce the software that is available for handheld computers and how it can improve patient care and help speed your way through the day. Currently, a multitude of software exists for both the Palm OS (Palm, Inc., Milpitas, California) powered handhelds as well as the Pocket PC (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) powered devices.
PERSONAL DATA MANAGEMENT Common to both the Palm and Microsoft Windows powered devices are the software that is intrinsic to the devices for the management of phone numbers, appointments, “to do” lists, and small notes. I find the calendar feature essential for keeping track of call schedules as well as schedules of upcoming lectures and conferences (grand rounds and M&M, for example). I keep a list of my colleagues’ pager numbers as well as various extensions throughout the hospital in my phone number list. Also helpful are other area hospital phone numbers that may transfer patients to my tertiary care institution. Finally, the “to do” list and “notes” features of the handheld allow me to make quick reminders of things that must be done, including everything from personal errands to “scut” duties from the wards.
PALM OS There are probably over 500 medical applications for users of Palm powered devices. Most of the software can be found on the Internet, and several sites exist that allow users to browse through a variety of medical software for their Palm OS device. Users simply have to download the software to their computers and then install it to the handheld device using the handheld install tools. Some software is free, whereas other titles allow for an evaluation period before requiring the user to buy the title. A multitude of applications exist from those that assist with billCorrespondence: Inquiries to James Suliburk, MD, University of Texas at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Suite 4-276, Houston, TX 77030; fax: (713) 500-7239; e-mail: [email protected]
176
ing and charge capture to medical calculators that perform calculations such as the fractional excretion of sodium, creatinine clearance, and a variety of other equations. The most recognized area of software includes those programs that may be used as a reference source for users. There are a variety of wellrecognized reference texts that may be found, including The Washington Manual of Surgery, The 5-Minute Clinical Consult series, and the Merck Manual. The most widely used reference application is the drug reference application “ePocrates.” It provides information on over 1500 drugs and includes pertinent data such as dosing, contraindications, drug interactions, and mechanism of action.
POCKET PC When Windows powered devices first debuted several years ago, users’ choices of handheld software was extremely limited for the Windows powered devices. However, since that time, the gap has closed and now an ample amount of software exists for users of Pocket PC. All of these devices have advanced multimedia features. One feature that some users may find attractive is the voice-recording feature. Small 10- to 30-second notes may be dictated into the machines for later playback. It should be noted that this feature is not robust enough to substitute for traditional dictation into handheld recorders, although it suffices for short reminders or notes. As with the Palm devices, there are a number of Internet sites that users may browse to find medical applications for the Windows powered devices. The applications are downloaded to the users’ PC and then installed to the handheld. Again, most programs are available for a free trial period evaluation before the user must buy the software. Customizing Existing “Pearls” Many people already have “pearls” lists that they have created on their computer using a word processing program or spreadsheet program. These lists can easily be transferred to the Palm powered devices using software such as “Documents To Go” (www.datavitz.com) or “Quickoffice” (www.cesinc.com). These convert the documents on the PC to a format that is viewable on the handheld and even preserve formatting within the document such as tables, different font size, and bold or
CURRENT SURGERY • © 2003 by the Association of Program Directors in Surgery Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
0149-7944/03/$30.00 doi:10.1016/S0149-7944(02)00795-X
underlined text. The software will also convert PDF-type files for viewing on the handheld. Users of Pocket PC devices will find that their handheld already includes mobile versions of the popular Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Thus, there is no need for a third-party program to be used to allowing viewing of the PC documents on the handheld. All that is necessary is for users to select which document they would like to use on the handheld and then synchronize that document between the handheld and the computer.
CASE LOGS The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) website allows users to log their operative cases on the handheld and upload them to the ACGME database that tracks the resident procedures. You may contact the ACGME at www.acgme.org for further details on this.
START THE SEARCH If none of the above pieces of software have peaked your interest in using your handheld computer, surely there are some applications that will. A simple search of the Internet will yield hundreds of results. For Pocket PC users, I recommend looking at Medical Pocket PC at www.medicalpocketpc.com for tips. Palm Gear at www.palmgear.com has an enormous collection of software. You may also find tips at PDA MD, a website dealing exclusively with the use of handheld computers in med-
CURRENT SURGERY • Volume 60/Number 2 • March/April 2003
icine (www.pdamd.com) or at an excellent site entitled PDA Cortex (www.pdacortex.com). One of the most popular manufacturers of reference software is Skyscape (Hudson, Massachusetts) (www.skyscape.com), where a variety of reference material may be found. With the advance in computer technology, a variety of options now exist for users of handheld computers to apply the power of a computer in the palm of their hand and deliver optimum patient care at the bedside.
COMMENTARY Richard K. Spence, MD Section Editor Our thanks to Dr. Suliburk for his suggestions on PDAs and how to make them work for the busy surgeon and resident. Most of us, by now, wonder what we ever did without them. I just purchased an add-on for my Compaq Pocket PC (Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, California) called FlyJacket. It is supposed to give me the ability to link to a VGA projector and present a Microsoft Power Point (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) slide show. This can be a great boon to those of us who tire of lugging a portable computer around to meetings, because the whole thing will fit into a suit jacket pocket. I will give your more details once I have had the opportunity to try this out in a variety of settings. Please contact either Haley Byrd, Managing Editor, or me through the journal if you have any success or failure stories about PDAs, hardware, and software that we should hear.
177
Handheld Medicine—Handheld Software to Ease the Day and Improve Patient Care James Suliburk, MD Department of General Surgery, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, Texas In the prior issue of Current Surgery, I wrote a column introducing the various models of handheld computers that are currently available. In this issue, I will introduce the software that is available for handheld computers and how it can improve patient care and help speed your way through the day. Currently, a multitude of software exists for both the Palm OS (Palm, Inc., Milpitas, California) powered handhelds as well as the Pocket PC (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) powered devices.
PERSONAL DATA MANAGEMENT Common to both the Palm and Microsoft Windows powered devices are the software that is intrinsic to the devices for the management of phone numbers, appointments, “to do” lists, and small notes. I find the calendar feature essential for keeping track of call schedules as well as schedules of upcoming lectures and conferences (grand rounds and M&M, for example). I keep a list of my colleagues’ pager numbers as well as various extensions throughout the hospital in my phone number list. Also helpful are other area hospital phone numbers that may transfer patients to my tertiary care institution. Finally, the “to do” list and “notes” features of the handheld allow me to make quick reminders of things that must be done, including everything from personal errands to “scut” duties from the wards.
PALM OS There are probably over 500 medical applications for users of Palm powered devices. Most of the software can be found on the Internet, and several sites exist that allow users to browse through a variety of medical software for their Palm OS device. Users simply have to download the software to their computers and then install it to the handheld device using the handheld install tools. Some software is free, whereas other titles allow for an evaluation period before requiring the user to buy the title. A multitude of applications exist from those that assist with billCorrespondence: Inquiries to James Suliburk, MD, University of Texas at Houston, 6431 Fannin Street, Suite 4-276, Houston, TX 77030; fax: (713) 500-7239; e-mail: [email protected]
176
ing and charge capture to medical calculators that perform calculations such as the fractional excretion of sodium, creatinine clearance, and a variety of other equations. The most recognized area of software includes those programs that may be used as a reference source for users. There are a variety of wellrecognized reference texts that may be found, including The Washington Manual of Surgery, The 5-Minute Clinical Consult series, and the Merck Manual. The most widely used reference application is the drug reference application “ePocrates.” It provides information on over 1500 drugs and includes pertinent data such as dosing, contraindications, drug interactions, and mechanism of action.
POCKET PC When Windows powered devices first debuted several years ago, users’ choices of handheld software was extremely limited for the Windows powered devices. However, since that time, the gap has closed and now an ample amount of software exists for users of Pocket PC. All of these devices have advanced multimedia features. One feature that some users may find attractive is the voice-recording feature. Small 10- to 30-second notes may be dictated into the machines for later playback. It should be noted that this feature is not robust enough to substitute for traditional dictation into handheld recorders, although it suffices for short reminders or notes. As with the Palm devices, there are a number of Internet sites that users may browse to find medical applications for the Windows powered devices. The applications are downloaded to the users’ PC and then installed to the handheld. Again, most programs are available for a free trial period evaluation before the user must buy the software. Customizing Existing “Pearls” Many people already have “pearls” lists that they have created on their computer using a word processing program or spreadsheet program. These lists can easily be transferred to the Palm powered devices using software such as “Documents To Go” (www.datavitz.com) or “Quickoffice” (www.cesinc.com). These convert the documents on the PC to a format that is viewable on the handheld and even preserve formatting within the document such as tables, different font size, and bold or
CURRENT SURGERY • © 2003 by the Association of Program Directors in Surgery Published by Elsevier Science Inc.
0149-7944/03/$30.00 doi:10.1016/S0149-7944(02)00795-X
underlined text. The software will also convert PDF-type files for viewing on the handheld. Users of Pocket PC devices will find that their handheld already includes mobile versions of the popular Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. Thus, there is no need for a third-party program to be used to allowing viewing of the PC documents on the handheld. All that is necessary is for users to select which document they would like to use on the handheld and then synchronize that document between the handheld and the computer.
CASE LOGS The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) website allows users to log their operative cases on the handheld and upload them to the ACGME database that tracks the resident procedures. You may contact the ACGME at www.acgme.org for further details on this.
START THE SEARCH If none of the above pieces of software have peaked your interest in using your handheld computer, surely there are some applications that will. A simple search of the Internet will yield hundreds of results. For Pocket PC users, I recommend looking at Medical Pocket PC at www.medicalpocketpc.com for tips. Palm Gear at www.palmgear.com has an enormous collection of software. You may also find tips at PDA MD, a website dealing exclusively with the use of handheld computers in med-
CURRENT SURGERY • Volume 60/Number 2 • March/April 2003
icine (www.pdamd.com) or at an excellent site entitled PDA Cortex (www.pdacortex.com). One of the most popular manufacturers of reference software is Skyscape (Hudson, Massachusetts) (www.skyscape.com), where a variety of reference material may be found. With the advance in computer technology, a variety of options now exist for users of handheld computers to apply the power of a computer in the palm of their hand and deliver optimum patient care at the bedside.
COMMENTARY Richard K. Spence, MD Section Editor Our thanks to Dr. Suliburk for his suggestions on PDAs and how to make them work for the busy surgeon and resident. Most of us, by now, wonder what we ever did without them. I just purchased an add-on for my Compaq Pocket PC (Hewlett Packard, Palo Alto, California) called FlyJacket. It is supposed to give me the ability to link to a VGA projector and present a Microsoft Power Point (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington) slide show. This can be a great boon to those of us who tire of lugging a portable computer around to meetings, because the whole thing will fit into a suit jacket pocket. I will give your more details once I have had the opportunity to try this out in a variety of settings. Please contact either Haley Byrd, Managing Editor, or me through the journal if you have any success or failure stories about PDAs, hardware, and software that we should hear.
177