-
General practitioners' perceptions of the
pharmaceutical decision-support tools in their prescribing software.
Ahearn MD, Kerr SJ.
National Prescribing Service, Level 1, 31 Buckingham Street, Surry
Hills, NSW 2010, Australia. mahearn@nps.org.au
OBJECTIVES: To explore how Australian general practitioners use
pharmaceutical decision-support (PDS) systems; to determine GPs'
perceptions of the deficiencies and strengths of these systems; and how
they believe they can be improved. DESIGN AND SETTING: Qualitative
analysis of discussion from three focus groups of GPs (from one rural
and two urban Divisions of General Practice) between April and May 2002.
PARTICIPANTS: 22 GPs selected to include users of the five most popular
prescribing/clinical practice software products available in Australia.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Advantages and disadvantages of using PDS
software; ideas for improving PDS systems; attitudes to electronic
evidence-based guidelines. RESULTS: GPs believed that important
interactions may be missed because of desensitisation resulting from too
many alerts (which also intrude on workflow); that interaction alerts
need to be severity graded and only significant ones should appear; and
that improved computer-user interface design could enhance the
usefulness of PDS systems. CONCLUSIONS: Our results will provide useful
feedback to government, software vendors and software developers on the
needs and expectations of end users and on the development of agreed
software standards.
PMID: 12831382 [PubMed - in process]
-
-
Preparing doctors for bedside computing.
Moffett SE, Menon AS, Meites EM, Kush S, Lin EY, Grappone T, Lowe HL.
Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, CA 94305,
USA.
MeSH Terms:
- Attitude of Health Personnel
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Education, Medical, Undergraduate/methods*
- Human
- Students, Medical*
PMID: 12853225 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Handheld computers in radiology.
Flanders AE, Wiggins RH 3rd, Gozum ME.
Department of Radiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 132 S
10th St, Suite 1072, Main Bldg, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
adam.flanders@jefferson.edu
The next phase of the digital revolution in medicine is taking place
through the dissemination of powerful handheld computers. Handheld
computers, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), are no longer
considered either a curiosity or a toy. The current handheld computer
has many features (Internet access, simple e-mail client software,
spreadsheet and database programs, word processing, and digital media)
that make it an ideal tool for healthcare providers. Improvements in
handwriting recognition, display characteristics, and wireless
networking capabilities provide a platform for real-time review of both
large static and dynamic repositories of patient data. Although earlier
PDA models lacked the ability to display medical images appropriately,
current PDAs boast display characteristics that approach low-resolution
computer monitors. Although the handheld computer is not yet a reliable
option for soft-copy reading, it offers many features that can improve
work flow and efficiency for the radiologist. These features include
improved personal information management, decision support via access to
educational materials, and remote access to radiology-related
information systems. Copyright RSNA, 2003
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld/trends*
- Human
- Radiology/education
- Radiology/methods
- Radiology/trends*
- Software
PMID: 12853679 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment on:
The perils of PDAs.
Copeland J.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld/ethics
- Computers, Handheld/standards*
- Databases, Factual/standards*
- Human
- Information Services/ethics
- Information Services/standards*
- Pharmacopoeias
- Practice Management, Medical
- Privacy*
- Software/ethics
- Software/standards*
PMID: 12796322 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment on:
The perils of PDAs.
Openshaw DJ.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Anesthesiology
- Computers, Handheld/ethics
- Computers, Handheld/standards*
- Databases, Factual/standards*
- Human
- Information Services/ethics
- Information Services/standards*
- Practice Management, Medical
- Privacy
- Software/ethics
- Software/standards*
PMID: 12796320 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
[Mobile computing in anaesthesiology and intensive
care medicine. The practical relevance of portable digital assistants]
[Article in German]
Pazhur RJ, Kutter B, Georgieff M, Schraag S.
Klinik fur Anasthesiologie, Universitat Ulm.
Portable digital assistants (PDAs) may be of value to the
anaesthesiologist as development in medical care is moving towards
"bedside computing". Many different portable computers are currently
available and it is now possible for the physician to carry a mobile
computer with him all the time. It is data base, reference book, patient
tracking help, date planner, computer, book, magazine, calculator and
much more in one mobile device. With the help of a PDA, information that
is required for our work may be available at all times and everywhere at
the point of care within seconds. In this overview the possibilities for
the use of PDAs in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine are
discussed. Developments in other countries, possibilities in use but
also problems such as data security and network technology are
evaluated.
PMID: 12835877 [PubMed - in process]
-
In the palm of your hand.
Ortolon K.
ken.ortolon@texmed.org
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- Neoplasms/diagnosis*
- Neoplasms/prevention & control*
- Software
- Texas
PMID: 12836576 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Practice corner: clinical practice guidelines and
handheld computers.
Rao G.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Practice Guidelines*
PMID: 12725639 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Using personal digital assistants to document
pharmacist cognitive services and estimate potential reimbursement.
Silva MA, Tataronis GR, Maas B.
Department of Pharmacy Practice, Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and
Allied Health Sciences, 19 Foster Street, Worcester, MA 01608, USA.
msilva@mcp.edu
The use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) to document pharmacist
cognitive services and estimate potential reimbursement was studied.
Between September 2001 and February 2002, four pharmacy residents and
four clinical pharmacists used PDAs for documenting cognitive services.
Interventions recorded on paper during the same six-month period one
year earlier were reviewed for comparison. Potential reimbursement for
these services was calculated by linking current procedural terminology
codes and charges to the electronically documented services. Over the
six-month study period, pharmacists recorded 7319 interventions with
PDAs, compared with 5028 documented on paper during the earlier
six-month period. Potential claims for pharmacists' cognitive services
documented with PDAs amounted to more than $1 million in the six months,
assuming a 100% reimbursement rate. PDAs provide a simple, efficient
paperless system for documenting pharmacists' clinical services and
generating reimbursement claims.
PMID: 12756942 [PubMed - in process]
-
Hand-held presentations.
Cameron S.
Department of Family Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS.
MeSH Terms:
- Audiovisual Aids*
- Computer Peripherals*
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
PMID: 12790276 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Personal digital assistant infectious diseases
applications for health care professionals.
Miller SM, Beattie MM, Butt AA.
Section of Clinical Pharmacology and School of Medicine, University of
Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO 64108, USA. millersus@umkc.edu
Personal digital assistants (PDAs; also known as "handheld computers,"
"pocket personal computers," and Palm Pilots) provide immediate access
to vital and clinically relevant infectious diseases information at the
point of care. Several infectious diseases applications are available
that provide information on pathogens, diagnosis, medication, and
treatment. In this article, 4 infectious diseases PDA applications are
reviewed: ePocrates ID (part of ePocrates Rx Pro), the Johns Hopkins
Division of Infectious Diseases Antibiotic Guide, the 2002 Sanford Guide
to Antimicrobial Therapy, and Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobials
Notes. Drug information, including clinical pharmacology, dosing in
patients with renal insufficiency, adverse reactions, and drug
interactions, is evaluated for completeness and accuracy by comparison
of each application with the package insert. Treatment recommendations
for 6 diseases are compared with current practice guidelines. Each PDA
infectious diseases application reviewed has unique advantages and
disadvantages. This critical review will help health care professionals
select the infectious diseases PDA application best tailored to meet
their individual information needs.
MeSH Terms:
- Antibiotics/therapeutic use
- Communicable Diseases*/diagnosis
- Communicable Diseases*/therapy
- Computers, Handheld/classification
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Delivery of Health Care/trends*
- Human
- Physicians*
Substances:
PMID: 12684915 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
All in the palm of your hand. Handheld computers in
clinical practice.
Grebus C.
Milford, N.H., USA.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- Information Storage and Retrieval
- Nurse Practitioners
- Software
PMID: 12718109 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Handheld computers. A feasible alternative to paper
forms for field data collection.
Fletcher LA, Erickson DJ, Toomey TL, Wagenaar AC.
Alcohol Epidemiology Program, University of Minnesota School of Public
Health, USA.
Recent advances in handheld computer hardware and software may provide
alternatives to paper-based data collection methods. The authors
compared data collected with paper forms to data collected with handheld
computer-based forms in a field observation study of alcohol purchase
attempts at 47 community festivals in a large metropolitan area.
Agreement between data collected with paper forms and data collected
with handheld computers was greater than 95%. Computer-based forms
handled branching patterns better and yielded data that were immediately
available for analyses. Paper forms handled written comments better.
Handheld computers are a feasible alternative to paper forms for field
data collection.
MeSH Terms:
- Adult
- Computers, Handheld/economics
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Data Collection/methods*
- Feasibility Studies
- Female
- Forms and Records Control
- Human
- Male
- Middle Age
- Paper
- Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID: 12703341 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Patient safety: take the informatics challenge.
Abrahamsen C.
HealthWorks Consulting Associates, Palatine, IL, USA.
To provide safe, efficient patient care, keep pace with the
ever-evolving world of nursing informatics.
MeSH Terms:
- Computer Security
- Computers, Handheld
- Confidentiality
- Electronic Mail
- Human
- Information Systems/organization & administration*
- Internet
- Nursing Care/standards*
- Point-of-Care Systems
- Safety Management/methods*
- Technology Assessment, Biomedical
PMID: 12671410 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment in:
"Palm reading": 2. Handheld software for physicians.
Adatia F, Bedard PL.
Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont. feisaladatia@hotmail.com
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Accounting
- Choice Behavior
- Computers, Handheld/standards*
- Computers, Handheld/supply & distribution
- Decision Support Techniques
- Education, Medical, Continuing
- Human
- Information Services/standards*
- Information Services/supply & distribution
- Office Automation
- Periodicals
- Pharmacopoeias
- Physicians/psychology
- Practice Management, Medical
- Software/standards*
- Software/supply & distribution
- Word Processing
PMID: 12642430 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Handheld computing in medicine.
Fischer S, Stewart TE, Mehta S, Wax R, Lapinsky SE.
Technology Application Unit, Intensive Care Unit, Mount Sinai Hospital,
600 University Avenue #1825, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5G
1X5, Canada.
Handheld computers have become a valuable and popular tool in various
fields of medicine. A systematic review of articles was undertaken to
summarize the current literature regarding the use of handheld devices
in medicine. A variety of articles were identified, and relevant
information for various medical fields was summarized. The literature
search covered general information about handheld devices, the use of
these devices to access medical literature, electronic pharmacopoeias,
patient tracking, medical education, research, business management,
e-prescribing, patient confidentiality, and costs as well as
specialty-specific uses for personal digital assistants (PDAs). The
authors concluded that only a small number of articles provide
evidence-based information about the use of PDAs in medicine. The
majority of articles provide descriptive information, which is
nevertheless of value. This article aims to increase the awareness among
physicians about the potential roles for handheld computers in medicine
and to encourage the further evaluation of their use.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Biomedical Research
- Computers, Handheld/economics
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Confidentiality
- Education, Medical
- Literature
- Pharmacopoeias
- Practice Management, Medical*
PMID: 12595403 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Physicians and the power of our "palms".
Panda M.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Clinical Medicine/trends*
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- United States
PMID: 12659349 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Personal digital assistant applications for the
healthcare provider.
Keplar KE, Urbanski CJ.
College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Butler University,
Indianapolis, IN 46208-3485, USA. kkeplar@butler.edu
OBJECTIVE: To review some common medical applications available for
personal digital assistants (PDAs), with brief discussion of the
different PDA operating systems and memory requirements. Key search
terms included handheld, PDA, personal digital assistants, and medical
applications. DATA SOURCES: The literature was accessed through MEDLINE
(1999-August 2002). Other information was obtained through secondary
sources such as Web sites describing common PDAs. DATA SYNTHESIS:
Medical applications available on PDAs are numerous and include general
drug references, specialized drug references (e.g., pediatrics,
geriatrics, cardiology, infectious disease), diagnostic guides, medical
calculators, herbal medication references, nursing references,
toxicology references, and patient tracking databases. Costs and memory
requirements for these programs can vary; consequently, the healthcare
provider must limit the medication applications that are placed on the
handheld computer. CONCLUSIONS: This article attempts to systematically
describe the common medical applications available for the handheld
computer along with cost, memory and download requirements, and Web site
information. This review found many excellent PDA drug information
applications offering many features which will aid the healthcare
provider. Very likely, after using these PDA applications, the
healthcare provider will find them indispensable, as their
multifunctional capabilities can save time, improve accuracy, and allow
for general business procedures as well as being a quick reference tool.
To avoid the benefits of this technology might be a step backward.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*/economics
- Computers, Handheld*/utilization
- Drug Information Services
- Human
- Reference Books, Medical*
PMID: 12549963 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Only a fraction of doctors use the internet to save
money.
[No authors listed]
Although three out of four physicians now use the Internet, a survey
from the AMA suggests that only one of four connects with the web for
such business functions as transferring medical records or obtaining
managed care data, thus missing out on a potentially important source of
savings and efficiency under capitation.
MeSH Terms:
- Adult
- American Medical Association
- Attitude of Health Personnel*
- Attitude to Computers*
- Computers, Handheld/utilization
- Data Collection
- Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
- Human
- Internet/utilization*
- Middle Age
- Physicians/psychology*
- United States
PMID: 12635484 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
MDs ok CPRs, VPN and PDAs.
Schuerenberg BK.
MeSH Terms:
- Ambulatory Care Information Systems*
- Attitude to Computers
- Computers, Handheld*
- Efficiency, Organizational
- Group Practice/organization & administration*
- Medical Records Systems, Computerized*
- Pennsylvania
- Physicians/psychology*
PMID: 12602292 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
10 quick tips for a more user-friendly PDA.
Chandrashekhar A.
MeSH Terms:
- Appointments and Schedules
- Attitude to Computers
- Computer User Training
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Efficiency, Organizational
- Family Practice/organization & administration*
- Human
- Planning Techniques
- Practice Management, Medical*
- United States
PMID: 12577879 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Making E-prescribing work--a fresh approach.
Krohn R.
rikrone@aol.com
MeSH Terms:
- California
- Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems/organization &
administration*
- Cost Sharing
- Drugs, Generic/economics
- Formularies
- Human
- Internet/organization & administration*
- Internet/utilization
- Organizational Case Studies
- Organizational Innovation
- Physician-Patient Relations*
- Point-of-Care Systems
- Prescriptions, Drug*/economics
- United States
- User-Computer Interface
Substances:
PMID: 12698906 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Mobile physician order entry.
Ying A.
Because both computerized physician order entry (CPOE) systems and
mobile technologies such as handheld devices have the potential to
greatly impact the industry's future, IT vendors, hospitals, and
clinicians are simply merging them into a logical convergence--"CPOE on
a handheld"--with an expectation of full functionality on all platforms:
computer workstations, rolling laptops, tablet PCs, and handheld
devices. For these trends to succeed together, however, this expectation
must be revised to establish a distinct category--mobile physician order
entry (MPOE)--that is different from CPOE in form, function, and
implementation.
MeSH Terms:
- Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems/instrumentation*
- Computer Security
- Computers, Handheld*
- Diffusion of Innovation
- Human
- Medical Staff, Hospital
- Medication Errors/prevention & control
- Point-of-Care Systems*
- Safety Management
- Security Measures
- Software
- United States
PMID: 12553223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Your practice in the palm of your hand.
Jablow M.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- Practice Management, Dental*
PMID: 12723223 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment in:
The combination of collaborative drug therapy
management and E-prescribing.
Thomas N, Fifer SK.
Manchester Square Group, LLC, Minneapolis, USA. norriethomas@aol.com
Many discussions regarding electronic prescribing (E-prescribing)
continue to focus on "who" should be responsible for building the
communication platform: retail pharmacy or managed care. National
pharmacy practice experts were interviewed to discuss a broader
question: Given the potential for E-prescribing to reduce medication
errors and improve communication between pharmacists and physicians, and
given the increasing trend toward formal arrangements between
pharmacists and physicians to establish collaborative drug therapy
management (CDTM) practice settings, what are the implications for the
practice of pharmacy? Specifically, how can technology for E-prescribing
assist in the expansion of CDTM opportunities for the pharmacy
profession?
MeSH Terms:
- Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems*
- Cooperative Behavior
- Human
- Internet*
- Managed Care Programs/organization & administration*
- Managed Care Programs/trends
- Medication Errors/prevention & control
- Pharmaceutical Services/organization & administration*
- Pharmaceutical Services/trends
- Prescriptions, Drug*
- Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- United States
PMID: 12564403 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment on:
Electronic prescribing: implications for managed
care.
Penna P.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems*
- Human
- Internet*
- Managed Care Programs/organization & administration
- Managed Care Programs/trends
- Pharmaceutical Services/trends*
- Prescriptions, Drug*
- United States
PMID: 12564402 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Implementing PDA technology in a medical library:
experiences in a hospital library and an academic medical center
library.
Morgen EB.
Lyman Maynard Stowe Library, University of Connecticut Health Center,
Farmington, CT 06034-4003, USA. emorgen@uchc.edu
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have grown from being a novelty in
the late 1990s to an essential tool for healthcare professionals in the
2000s. This paper describes the experiences of a librarian who
implemented PDA technology first in a hospital library, and then at an
academic medical center library. It focuses on the role of the library
in supporting PDA technology and resources. Included are programmatic
issues such as training for library staff and clinicians, and technical
issues such as Palm and Windows operating systems. This model could be
used in either a hospital or academic health sciences library.
MeSH Terms:
- Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration*
- Computer User Training
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Connecticut
- Diffusion of Innovation*
- Librarians
- Libraries, Hospital/organization & administration*
- Libraries, Medical/organization & administration
- Library Science/economics
- Medical Informatics/education
- Organizational Innovation*
- Professional Role
- Program Evaluation
PMID: 12627687 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Extending the hand of knowledge: promoting mobile
technologies.
Crowell K, Shaw-Kokot J.
Health Sciences Library, Campus Box 7585, University of North Carolina
at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7585, USA. kcrowell@email.unc.edu
The widespread use of handheld computers and other mobile devices in the
healthcare environment and their potential for providing access to
information has prompted health sciences librarians everywhere to learn
more about this technology. Early in 2001, the Health Sciences Library (HSL)
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill began exploring ways
to support mobile computing. This paper describes the four basic
approaches taken by the librarians that helped establish the HSL as a
leader in the area of mobile technologies.
MeSH Terms:
- Academic Medical Centers/organization & administration*
- Computer User Training
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Diffusion of Innovation*
- Internet
- Librarians
- Libraries, Medical/organization & administration*
- Library Science/education
- Medical Informatics/education
- North Carolina
- Program Evaluation
PMID: 12627686 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Jump on the PDA bandwagon.
Segal-Isaacson AE.
MeSH Terms:
- Choice Behavior
- Computers, Handheld*/standards
- Computers, Handheld*/supply & distribution
- Human
- Nurse Practitioners/organization & administration
- Nurse Practitioners/psychology
- Practice Management
PMID: 12515919 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
Use of personal digital assistants for retrieval of
medical images and data on high-resolution flat panel displays.
Ratib O, McCoy JM, McGill DR, Li M, Brown A.
Department of Radiology, UCLA School of Medicine, 10833 Le Conte Ave,
Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. oratib@mednet.ucla.edu
For its new acute care hospital, the University of California at Los
Angeles is evaluating innovative technology involving high-resolution
flat panel display devices configured as "network appliances" that can
be wall mounted for use in the retrieval and display of medical images
and data. Physicians and healthcare providers can log on with wireless
handheld computers, which can serve as an identification device as well
as a navigational tool for selecting patient records and data. These
data are displayed and manipulated on the flat panel display without the
need for a keyboard or mouse. A prototype was developed with
commercially available image display software, which was modified to
allow the remote control of software functions from a handheld device
through an infrared communication port. The system also allows
navigation through the patient data in a World Wide Web-based electronic
patient record. This prototype illustrates the evolution of radiologic
facilities toward "shareable" high-quality display devices that allow
more convenient and cost-effective access to medical images and related
data in complex clinical environments, resulting in a paradigm shift in
data navigation and accessibility. Copyright RSNA, 2003.
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- Internet
- Radiology Information Systems*
- Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
PMID: 12533661 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Comment in:
Establishing guidelines for Internet-based
prescribing.
Jones MJ, Thomasson WA.
The American Medical Association called for the establishment of
guidelines to allow electronic prescription of medications "for
established patients." Based on experience writing more than 10,000
Internet-based prescriptions, we agree that guidelines are long overdue.
Restricting such prescribing to patients with whom a face-to-face
relationship has previously been established violates patient autonomy
and distorts the physician-patient relationship without improving
patient safety or convenience. A study comparing information obtained
and used by Internet-based physicians prescribing sildenafil with that
obtained by clinic-based physicians writing similar prescriptions
suggests that safety may be greater on the Internet. Data regarding the
appropriateness of prescriptions for other medications suggest that the
in-office visit is not the panacea it is often assumed to be. Guidelines
for electronic prescribing, like guidelines for other aspects of medical
practice, need to be based on evidence. Such evidence is currently
lacking, and a serious effort to obtain it should be a top priority.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Guidelines*
- Human
- Internet*
- Physician-Patient Relations
- Prescriptions, Drug*
- Quality of Health Care
PMID: 12602702 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
The PDA as a portal to knowledge sources in a
wireless setting.
Fontelo P, Ackerman M, Kim G, Locatis C.
Office of High Performance Computing and Communications, Lister Hill
National Center for Biomedical Communications National Library of
Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland 20894, USA. fontelo@nlm.nih.gov
Two recent parallel developments, the widespread deployment of wireless
networks and increased use of handheld devices like the personal digital
assistant (PDA), have contributed to the development of mobile access to
the Internet. Recent surveys show that approximately 25% or more of
physicians use PDAs. Although used mainly for personal information
management and static medical applications, PDAs have capabilities to
connect to the Internet. We studied the use of handheld devices to
access MEDLINE and other knowledge sources in a wireless setting.
PMID: 12855037 [PubMed - in process]
-
Electronic prescribing: a review of costs and
benefits.
Corley ST.
University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, Va 22908, USA.
drcorley@internalmedicineassoc.com
Electronic prescribing tools are currently available but most medical
practices are not using them. The literature was reviewed for data on
adverse drug events and the expected dollar savings that could occur if
these events were prevented. In addition to cost savings from improved
patient safety, the effect of these systems on formulary compliance and
drug cost savings was examined. Improved physician, nurse, and staff
efficiencies were calculated using time trial comparisons between a
paper system of handling prescription refills and a representative
electronic prescribing system. The conclusion is made that electronic
prescribing software is cost-effective for all size practices with a
more rapid return on investment in larger practices.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting Systems/economics
- Ambulatory Care/economics
- Clinical Pharmacy Information Systems/economics*
- Cost Savings
- Cost-Benefit Analysis
- Efficiency, Organizational
- Formularies
- Human
- Investments
- Medical Records Systems, Computerized/economics*
- Pharmacy Service, Hospital/economics
- Prescriptions, Drug/economics*
- Safety Management
- Software/economics*
- United States
PMID: 12674393 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
Personal digital assistants herald new approaches to
teaching and evaluation in medical education.
Bertling CJ, Simpson DE, Hayes AM, Torre D, Brown DL, Schubot DB.
Office of Educational Services, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee,
Wis., USA.
Since its arrival in 1994, the personal digital assistant (PDA) has made
significant inroads in the handheld industry, with 50% of physicians
anticipated as users by 2005 due to its functionality as a point-of-care
medical informatics tool. However, its use in medical education is less
well documented. Since 1998, PDAs have been used at Medical College of
Wisconsin (MCW) as both a teaching and an evaluation tool for medical
student and resident education. This article highlights the use of the
PDA in medical education and describes current applications for
monitoring clinical experiences of students/residents, and teaching
resources for hypertension, cardiac auscultation, and community health.
MCW's experiences with the PDA as a real time teaching and data
collection tool serves as a model for other medical schools and for our
students who are educated in the importance of self-monitoring one's
clinical experiences and the need for continuous improvement as future
physicians.
MeSH Terms:
- Attitude to Computers
- Computer-Assisted Instruction*
- Computers, Handheld*
- Education, Medical/methods*
- Human
- Organizational Innovation
- Schools, Medical
- Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
- Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
- Wisconsin
Grant Support:
- 1-D14-HP-00157-01/PHS
- 5-D14-HP-00093-02/PHS
PMID: 12754909 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
PDAs are willing, but will they be able?
Gillespie G.
MeSH Terms:
- Attitude of Health Personnel*
- Attitude to Computers*
- Computer Communication Networks
- Computers, Handheld/trends*
- Computers, Handheld/utilization
- Contract Services/organization & administration
- Human
- Physicians/psychology
- Physicians/statistics & numerical data
- Software
- Speech
- User-Computer Interface
PMID: 12528640 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Comment in:
Professional monitoring and critical incident
reporting using personal digital assistants.
Bent PD, Bolsin SN, Creati BJ, Patrick AJ, Colson ME.
Department of Anaesthesia, Pain Management and Peri-operative Medicine,
Barwon Health, The Geelong Hospital, Ryrie Street, Geelong, VIC 3218,
Australia. paulbent@bigpond.net.au
OBJECTIVE: To assess the practicality of using personal digital
assistants (PDAs) for the collection of logbook data, procedural
performance data and critical incident reports in anaesthetic trainees.
DESIGN: Pilot study. SETTING: Two tertiary referral centres (in Victoria
and New Zealand) and a large district hospital in Queensland.
PARTICIPANTS: Six accredited Australian and New Zealand College of
Anaesthetists (ANZCA) registrars and their ANZCA training supervisors.
INTERVENTIONS: Registrars and supervisors underwent initial training for
one hour, and supervisors were provided with ongoing support. MAIN
OUTCOME MEASURES: Reliable use of the program, average time for data
entry and number of procedures logged. RESULTS: ANZCA trainees reliably
enter data into PDAs. The data can be transferred to a central database,
where they can be remotely analysed before results are fed back to
trainees. CONCLUSIONS: This technology can be used to monitor
professional performance in ANZCA trainees.
MeSH Terms:
- Anesthesia/adverse effects
- Anesthesiology*/education
- Catheterization, Central Venous/adverse effects
- Catheterization, Peripheral/adverse effects
- Clinical Competence
- Computers, Handheld*
- Human
- Pilot Projects
- Quality Assurance, Health Care
- Risk Management*/methods
- Software
PMID: 12405892 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Teaching and practicing medicine with handheld
computers.
Usatine R.
Department of Family Medicine, Florida State University, College of
Medicine, Tallahassee 32306-4300, USA. richard.usatine@med.fsu.edu
MeSH Terms:
- Computers, Handheld*
- Education, Medical/methods*
- Family Practice/education
- Human
- Internet
- Point-of-Care Systems*
- United States
PMID: 12448637 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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Free-ranging physicians.
Bazzoli F.
MeSH Terms:
- Ambulatory Care Information Systems*
- Attitude to Computers
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Diffusion of Innovation
- Group Practice/organization & administration
- Human
- Local Area Networks
- Physicians*
- United States
PMID: 12436876 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
-
-
MD's computer, PDA use on the upswing.
Martin S.
Publication Types:
MeSH Terms:
- Adult
- Aged
- Ambulatory Care Information Systems/utilization*
- Canada
- Computers, Handheld/utilization*
- Female
- Human
- Male
- Middle Age
- Practice Management, Medical/trends*
PMID: 12389851 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
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