Handheld Devices
HandHeld computers (also called Personal Digital Assistants - PDAs) now appear everywhere in medical practice, often in the hands of the medical student or resident. Handheld computers and the available software are evolving so quickly that obsolescence of these devices occurs in only a matter of a few years. This site attempts to guide you in the search process required for the selection of a handheld. We also provide, via the Health Science Library, a list of PDA software that might prove interesting to the medical community.
Guidelines for the Use of Handheld Computers in Hospitals, Clinics and Medical Offices
Handheld computers are useful in clinical settings for accessing and recording information to improve patient care, for recording educational activities and for conducting research. Handheld computers, as with all computer equipment, must always be used in a professional manner and their use must not distract from the performance of clinical activities. Residents and medical students should be aware that patients and other staff may have varying degrees of comfort with this technology. Those using handheld devices in the presence of patients should explain that they are using a “handheld computer” to take notes and access medical information related to the care of the patient. Synchronization of data should be done at a time that does not interfere with other clinical duties.
Patient information carried on the HandHeld computer that identifies patients and details of their medical conditions must be kept secure and confidential. Patient information must be kept secure in a manner consistent with the nature and sensitivity of the patient information. Depending on the nature of the information, this may require security with a password security system. Attending staff must be notified if a Handheld device with sensitive patient information is lost. You are invited to consult the CPSO's Confidentiality and Access to Information Policy.
Choosing a Handheld Device
Due to the vast amount of models out on the market, the selection of a handheld device can be a daunting experience. Bear in mind that the handheld market is quite mature and that the technologies have converged to a general standard. Therefore, independent of the model you select, the difference between the features available of similarly priced models are quite minimal.
Handheld devices are mainly identified by the type of operating system (OS) they support. You are most likely aware that the T-Clerk application is currently mandatory for the Faculty of Medicine Clerkship. However, a PDA is not mandatory for the use of T-Clerk. There are currently two handheld operating systems wich support the T-Clerk application: Palm OS and Pocket PC OS
- The Palm Operating System (Palm OS): This OS is the standard in most medical schools. This is because of a high reliability (the OS is very stable), an average lower cost per devices and the quantity of medically related software titles available.
- Microsoft Pocket PC Operating System: This OS has the familiarity of the Windows type of interface. It will also run PDA versions of popular software such as MS Word, Excel and Outook and other goodies such as Pocket MSN;. These devices are somewhat bigger and heavier and battery life may be shorter and thus recharging is required more frequently (this is mainly due to their larger and brighter screens). These devices are more advanced for the viewing of images and video. There is less medical software available than for the Palm OS but this is changing rapidly.
In order to help you with your handheld purchase, we have tabulated a list of Web sites which contain pertinent information for the medical student or practitioner. However, please feel free to contact us if you have any questions or concerns.
Canadian Medical Handheld websites- University of Alberta: http://www.library.ualberta.ca/pdazone/index.cfm
- PDAMédical Canada: http://f.webring.com/hub?ring=canmdpalm&list
American Medical Handheld web sites
- Washington University: http://www.medicine.wustl.edu/wumpi/
PDA Resources
The Health Science library has compiled a list of medically related software for the PDA. Inlcuding software for which the University holds a subscription: click here.
Accessing the Network
The wireless infrastructure at the University of Ottawa does not currently support connections via a PDA. Your latptop is the prefered method to connect to the wireless network.
