Need mobile email? It's here already

Leo of MedPDA.net laments that he needs Mobile Email. I thought we have had it all along, and no we don't really need Blackberries everywhere.
I'm just back on vacation where broadband does not exist yet I could check my email with my Treo650. I use the default Versamail which supports POP and IMAP. You can actually schedule the Versamail client to check the mail at defined intervals (eg half hourly or hourly) and set it to collect only the headers and limit the size of data transfer (important if you are not on an unlimited data plan). For truly "push email" you can also use Chatopus (PalmOS only) - I don't need my email to follow me around that closely thank you!

Mobile blogging

Spotted u*Blog at Palmaddicts, a free blogging tool which works with Blogger and indeed any blog which supports RPC2.
I must say it works great and is very easy to use with my Treo650. Now I can jot notes on my Treo650 and upload directly into my blogs. Neat!

RSS feeds in my Treo650

I am an RSS Junkie. Yup, can't do without my daily fix of News and websites. I'm not that addicted though, since once a day updates are enough for me and I don't need hourly RSS updates. There are more and more Medical RSS friendly sites and you can even get Journal feeds as blogged earlier. Pubmed realises this and they now support RSS feeds of search results.
My tools are:
Sunrise (now Opensource) to fetch the RSS feeds and webpages
Plucker - the reader of choice on my Treo650 (I also use iSilo for ebooks but the RSS support with iSiloX is not as good)

I miss the T5's drive mode (and indeed TX users may also miss this) but third party apps do fill in this gap nicely:
Softick Card Export II
Free alternative to Card Export II: Palm File Browser

With Card Export II I can map my Treo650's SD as a removeable Drive (labelled T on my System naturally!). I have a simple batch file which does a Copy *.pdb /Y over to the SD card's Palm/Programs/Plucker directory and after Sunrise does the conversion. One simple click and that's it!

PocketPC users are not left out: there is a free equivalent of Plucker for the PPC: Vademecum. It's not bad, just that it does not have the one-handed friendliness of the Palm version (then again what PocketPC does? :P ). The other downside of Pocket PCs is that you can't map the SD card as a "Drive" so anything you want to stuff into the card, you have to use Explorer and click on the Mobile Device and drill down to the folder of your choice before copying the files over. I don't know of an automated process to simplify this but if anyone does, please enlighten me!

ICDMeister 2006

MeisterMed has updated ICDMeister in Palmgear

Application Description ICDMeister is not just a list of codes. Added features make it easy to find exactly the code you need in seconds. Most Common Diagnoses lists in every section bring 95% of the codes you're looking for within four quick clicks. The Abbreviations and Shortcuts Index is another way to quickly find your code. AGE? STD? Cdiff? FTT? TOA? ARDS? The abbreviations index quickly links you from the common medical acronym to the code you need. Using the built in Search tool helps you find rare and common diagnoses quickly. Need the code for Sequoiosis (a type of allergic alveolitis)? Enter "sequo" in the search screen and find it in 2 seconds. Fibroids? Enter "fibroid" and instantly get to the four codes for fibroids. ICDMeister is the best ICD-9 coding tool available for the PDA. Hey, don't take our word for it. Try all the other ones out there first and see for yourself. ICDMeister requires the iSilo document reader which is sold separately. Because ICD-9 codes are updated annually, this application is set to expire on 02/01/2007 in order to remind you to update to a current version. If you prefer to continue using the 2006 version, a non-expiring version will be provided to you at no additional cost. Updated Description: Fully updated for the 2006 ICD-9 coding changes

Manual of I.V. Therapeutics, 4th Ed.

Skyscape has also just released Manual of I.V. Therapeutics, 4th Ed. in Palmgear

Manual of I.V. Therapeutics, 4th Edition, is a self-paced reference designed to help the student, novice, or advanced practitioner in any setting where infusion-related skills are necessary. This new edition continues to emphasize standards of practice using the guidelines of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Intravenous Nursing Society (INS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

HIV Medicine 2005 and PDF reader roundup

You might be interested in a new free textbook : HIV Medicine 2005.
The ebook is in PDF format and 5.1MB in size. If you want to carry it in your PDA you need a reader which supports the PDF format.

Here's a roundup of PDF viewers available to PalmOS users:
Adobe's offering: Acrobat Reader for Palm is somewhat clunky. While free, you need to convert it to a format for Palm. No native PDF support (though the Pocket PC version by Adobe supports native PDF capability so I don't understand why Adobe hasn't done the same for Palm).
Repligo - one of the best out there. Still needs a conversion but the end product retains excellent formatting of the original PDF. The free reader has an excellent interface and is easy to use. The conversion tool however, is not free, but is modestly priced at $29.95.
Global Graphics (formally Ansyr). I did try out the Ansyr PDF viewer sometime back - like Repligo, it also needs a conversion but the end product was not too bad. I thought then it was a bit slower than Repligo and had less features. I haven't tried it of late. In any case I can't find the Palm version in the new website so I presume it's now dead.
Picsel Viewer : excellent document viewer which does Native PDF too. No version officially released for sale/distribution but a "hacked" version which can be installed on your Tungsten or Treo has been circulating around. I understand it will be available as a bundle for the Treo700w so I hope it will be a bundle for future Treos including the Treo700p.
Dataviz's Documents2Go: at the moment only text-based support in their Premium Edition but they are supposed to have demo'd Native PDF support so hopefully that will be released soon.
PalmPDF which is in early development, looks promising. I tried out version 0.4 on my T3 and it can open native PDFs but the zoom is slow and the interface needs a bit of work. Still it's promising and I hope the developer will plug on.

There you go. PDF viewer round-up for 2005. If you have anything to add, please feel free to comment.

UCLA trials real-time access to patient data on mobiles

From MobileVillage

UCLA Medical Center is piloting a mobile, wireless patient information retrieval system that gives physicians instant access from throughout the hospital and around the world to real-time patient data via wireless PDAs and cellular smart phones. The Global Care Quest system, or GCQ, integrates with digital medical records, bedside charting and laboratory results. This software offers access to real-time data from bedside ICU monitors, as well as X-ray and CT/MRI scan imaging studies, on Palm OS and Pocket PC (Windows Mobile) PDAs, smart phones, tablet PCs, and Windows-based desktops. Physicians can access medical data throughout the medical center via the hospital's wireless network (Wi-Fi or 802.11b), and remotely, outside the hospital, through high-speed cellular network connections (1xRTT, EV-DO, EDGE).

Sounds like a dream system!

Animal (and Human) Blood Values

Vets are not forgotten in the PalmOS world ;)
Animal Blood Values 1.0 has been released in Palmgear

Application Description Animal Blood Values (ABV) presents laboratory reference data of blood for 46 species of animals, ranging from the domestic to the wild, from the most common to the most exotic. Entries under Hematology and Clinical Chemistry (categories), are itemized for the dog, cat, horse, cattle, sheep, goat, swine, baboon, rhesus, ferret, gerbil, guinea pig, hamster, mouse, rat, rabbit, African grey parrot, amazon parrot, broiler chicken, budgerigar, caique, canary, cockatiel, cockatoo, conure, dove, duck, eagle, emu, hawk, lorry, lovebird, macaw, mynah, ostrich, parakeet, parrotlet, pionus, rosella, swan, toucan, boa, iguana, monitor lizard, python and turtle box. Hematology has 17 parameters each showing the minimum and maximum of the blood’s components. Clinical Chemistry, in turn, has 25 parameters, detailing values for electrolytes to lipids to enzymes. Values for both categories may be examined singly or dually. Actual laboratory results (whenever available) may be compared to that of the Database and ABV’s Evaluate will help assess normality. ABV’s Database can be edited. Also, the busy practitioner is provided with a short glossary of terms as reminder. A unit converter will facilitate change from the conventional notation of data to the SI unit or vice versa. Animal Blood Values (ABV) is for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, vet students, zoo technical personnel, pet owners, medical students and research personnel working in laboratories using animals as test units. All these will prove ABV to be a ready source of reliable reference data. Animal Blood Values is a designer program published in the Palm OS platform, running under OS 3.5 and higher.

IslandCoders thankfully have not forgotten us humans and have released
Human Normal Values 1.0.0

Application Description Human Normal Values (HNV) is a snap guide to normal laboratory values for man. Reference data are extensively presented and grouped into 11 categories namely, Hematology, Electrolyte, Hepatic Enzymes, Renal Values, Protein, Lipids, Thyroid, Cardiac, Urinalysis, Stool, Diabetes, Pancreas, Arterial Blood Gas (ABG) and Hepatitis Panel. Within its category are sub-categories, each containing reference values for commonly used laboratory test routines. As guide to better understanding of data, a Differential Diagnosis in a very concise form is included. Human Normal Values is for medical students and medical doctors (physicians), students and practitioners in allied medical sciences as nursing, medical technology, physical and occupational therapy. Veterinarians and veterinary technicians may even find HNV as a source of comparative data. The very busy medical doctors and consultants will find a ready ally in HNV as an ever ready supplier of reference data.

I believe these products are Islandcoders first foray into the Palm Medical arena. Their products seem to be competitively priced too.

Palm Treo 650 Smartphones to Collect and Wirelessly Transmit Subject Data in Clinical Trials

Palm, Inc. (Nasdaq:PALM) today announced that PHT Corporation, one of its leading clinical trials customers, is using 1,500 Palm(R) Treo(TM) 650 smartphones to collect and wirelessly transmit(1) self-reported data from subjects using PHT's customized LogPad(R) application in clinical trials across the globe. PHT plans to roll out the initial set of smartphones over a six-month period for use during a series of clinical trials. Today's announcement puts PHT, which has deployed more than 20,000 Palm handheld devices in the past two years, at the forefront of smartphone use in clinical research. More than 70 biopharmaceutical and medical device companies, including 13 of the top 15 drug-development firms in the world, use PHT's market-leading electronic patient reported outcome (ePRO) solutions in more than 180 clinical studies worldwide. Recently, PHT deployed Treo 650 smartphones for use by asthma patients in the AIR2 clinical trial sponsored by Asthmatx, an innovative medical device manufacturer located in Mountain View, Calif. Asthmatx is the developer of the Alair System(R), which consists of a single-use device and a controller that delivers radiofrequency energy during an outpatient bronchoscopic procedure known as Bronchial Thermoplasty(TM). In this pivotal clinical trial designed to establish the safety and efficacy of the Alair System for the treatment of asthma, a subset of patients will use Treo 650 smartphones to record daily information about their asthma symptoms. Patients using the Treo smartphone will use the device each morning and evening to record their asthma symptoms, medication use and the impact of their asthma on daily life during the clinical trial. The stored data is then automatically transmitted wirelessly to a secure central server. Researchers review the subject data over the web in real time, using PHT's StudyWorks application to track and manage subject enrollment, diary-completion compliance and subject safety information. PHT's LogPad application, implemented on the Treo 650 smartphones, features body diagrams, visual analog scales and other graphical data-collection screens that are intuitive and convenient for subjects to use.

Via PalmAddicts, Mobilehealthdata

Hmmm. I wonder if the subjects get to keep the Treo650s? ;)

Another Native PDF viewer

Still waiting for Dataviz to deliver their Native PDF viewer?
Not able to install the "hacked" Picsel Viewer?
Well, the good news is that PalmPDF is now in development too and you can try an early version and support the author with a donation if you like it.

Via Palmaddicts

Neobassinette

Bill Lefkowitz has posted Neobassinette v2.0 in Freewarepalm.com

Neobassinette is an improved NICU rounding tool and database. Included are places to record vitals, fluids and TPN data, blood gasses, labs and meds. Common calculations are made based on raw data (volumes (cc/kg/hr and cc/kg/day) including estimates of insensible losses and total including and excluding blood products and boluses, Kcal/kg/day from each intake fluid, GIR from multiple dextrose concentration drips, Meq/kg/day of Na+ from multiple saline containing drips, OI, aA gradient, aA ratio, VI, oxygen content in blood, bound to Hb and dissolved per dL of plasma, calculated serum osm, anion gap, ANC, I:T ratio, doses/kg/day divided into number of doses/day, number of hours of age given birth date and time and an end date and time, number of days on a medicine given the starting date, rule of 6,60,120 for epi, dopa and dobut, and common prostin mix for wt.) Also included is a to-do list for dated and timed tasks that you can review by \"completed\" \"to do in next 24 hrs\" \"overdue\" etc. Days of life and post-menstrual age are also calculated. This program was designed to speed data collection on rounds customized to my NICU and bedside forms, as well as handy quick-check calculations for use in teaching residents. Please let me know if you find any bugs or find anything you'd like customized. Requires the beta version of HanDBase 3.49b6 for the name to show up on all sub-forms. Developed on the Sony Clie NR70v.

Great job, Bill!
Visit Bill's homepage

Block those annoying Pop-ups

Freewarepalm.com is an excellent place to go for free PalmOS software. I don't mind the ads in the main page but I do hate Popups. If you are a Firefox user, even checking the Block Popup option does not stop the pesky Popups in this particular site.
Well TheOfficeWeblog comes to the rescue (I spotted this great tip in PalmAddicts btw)

”It turns out that some clever people figured out that you could launch popups from Flash, getting around the Firefox default settings. Fortunately, you can get around it: 1. Type about:config into the Firefox location bar. 2. Right-click on the page and select New and then Integer. 3. Name it privacy.popups.disable_from_plugins 4. Set the value to 2. The possible values are: * 0: Allow all popups from plugins. * 1: Allow popups, but limit them to dom.popup_maximum. * 2: Block popups from plugins. * 3: Block popups from plugins, even on whitelisted sites.” I haven’t seen a single popup since adding this to my configuration page.

New Skyscape titles

A couple of new releases you might be interested in:

Diseases of the Human Body, 4th Ed

The new edition of this classic text continues to offer students an excellent resource for learning common medical conditions. To help students locate specific information on more than 350 diseases, each condition is presented in an easy to follow format and includes description, etiology, signs and symptoms, diagnostic procedures, treatment, prognosis, and prevention.

Pocket Guide to Chemotherapy Protocols, 2nd Edition

The Pocket Guide to Chemotherapy Protocols, Second Edition serves as a handy, quick reference for physicians, nurses, and other health care providers treating cancer patients. Completely revised and updated in this new edition, the Pocket Guide contains combination as well as selected single-agent regimens for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. In each case, the regimens selected are based on the published literature and are used in clinical practice in the medical oncology community. An indispensable quick-reference resource for all cancer care professionals.

Nurses to Get Free PDA Software

MobileHealthData reports that The American College of Nurse Practitioners will give its members complimentary access to hand-held clinical reference software from Thomson Micromedex, Denver. Read the full article here

It's a handheld world

Jennifer Chappel finally discovers that many doctors are avid PDA users and blogs this experience in Palmaddicts - Palmaddicts is an excellent source of daily news and views for the Palm enthusiast.
One of the recent gems posted is that you can get a huge $30 discount off Agendus Pro if you use a discount code posted here. Agendus Pro for 9.95 - what are you waiting for!

LibertyControl Review

I have recently been given the opportunity to evalute LibertyControl, a Bluetooth remote control software for your Notebook computer. I would think many Doctors and Healthcare professionals would appreciate the ability to control their Powerpoint presentations from afar (well up to 10 feet anyway!) and not be "tied down" to the podium. Imagine being given the freedom to move around the stage and magically controlling the presentation using your Treo 650 smartphone or Tungsten PDA/Lifedrive!

What follows is just a summary review. If you like, you could also read the Full Review

I found installation and running LibertyControl a breeze on my WinXP Pro NEC Notebook, Billionton USB dongle and Treo650.
Your first of all have to copy the Powerpoint presentation over to C:\Program Files\Wagware\LibertyControl\Shared\Presentations. Using the LibertyControl Slide Manager, you can then add Notes to your presentation which will be displayed on your PDA. Very handy indeed as prompts for your talk. If you already have Notes in your Powerpoint presentation, these will be loaded in the LibertyControl Palm application.
The cool thing is you can set Timers for your slides so that you have an on-screen count-down clock in your PDA which tells you how much time you have left allocated for the slide, and you also get an optional flashing alarm on your PDA when the count-down is over. There is also an overall timer to tell you how long your talk has taken so far. This is very useful for those of us who give presentations in meetings where there is a time restriction.
Now the fun part. Just fire up the LibertyControl app on your Palm. Hit the Presentation button on the Palm, and you’ll be prompted to connect with the paired Bluetooth device (in this case my NEC notebook).

Subsequently when you tap on the Presentation Manager, you’ll see a list of Presentations available to you (the ones you put in the Liberty Shared folder). Just tap on your choice and the notebook will magically load PowerPoint and run your presentation.
Controlling the slides is a cinch. The DPad buttons allow you to navigate forward and backwards from slide to slide. There is also a handy Home button to start from the beginning. To add even more versatility, you could even switch to Mouse mode, which allows you to control the Mouse pointer with the DPad (great if you are like me and use the Mouse pointer as the pointer for your slides) The Treo’s Calendar and Message hard buttons function as the left and right Mouse click.





Other handy controls on the Palm include a Blank Screen option and a Switch Button which toggles between the Powerpoint presentation and the last opened application on the computer (something like Alt-Tab). The screenshot on the left shows a running presentation displaying Slide number 3 and the brief note about the slide. The bottom 4 buttons are from left Home, Blank, Mouse toggle, Application Switch.
The interface is not complicated and fairly intuitive. I could navigate and figure out most of the options without having to refer to the PDF manual. The only time I really looked hard at the manual was when I wanted to enter Notes for each slide and realised that you could only do so from the Desktop.




It does more than Powerpoint!

LibertyControl also has built-in controls for Internet Explorer. My default browser is Firefox and it unfortunately launches IE despite the default setting. Simply enter a URL in your Palm, Hit the Send button and the browser will fetch the page. Very neat and useful especially if your Presentation requires live Internet connection and display of web pages.

The other default control is for Media Player and it will load your Play list on your PC.
LibertyControl has thoughtfully added a Desktop Control module which allows you to launch 3 other applications of your choice.

You could also actually control the entire Notebook with the Palm since in Mouse mode, you could control the computer just as you would with the mouse. There is also a handy Virtual Keyboard and with Word open, I could actually type text into the Word document from my Treo!

I give this application two thumbs up!
For US$19.95, it would be a very worthy investment. Bluetooth USB dongles are going very cheap too nowadays so the whole setup would be inexpensive.
The two downsides I can think of would be lack of Mac support and inability to create/edit notes on the handheld but other than that, this is a powerful and flexible application.

DOD Body Fat Calculator

DOD Body Fat Calculator v1.0 - free in freewarepalm.com

The Department of Defense released body fat measurement standards which are utilized by the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. While the maximum percentages allowed varies by service, the method of calcuation remains the same. You can utilize this program to see what your bodyfat percentage is through your Palm handheld easily with no need for the charts

Reminds me. I withdrew Fatcalc from Palmgear sometime back. Will re-release it again after I make some adjustments - this time as freeware too.....

Navigating the Streets of Bangkok

A fellow palm-toting doc acquaintance of mine, Doc Tamil of PalmX.org (the "X" for Xpert and Xtreme!), who's also a Public Health academician, is suddenly thrust with the responsibility of overseeing 7 students in a trip to the wilds of Bangkok.
Armed only with his wits, PDA and Internet access, Doc Tamil survived to tell the tale. You can read his account of Navigating The Streets of Bangkok With My PDA in the PalmX Yahoo group. Interesting use of Metro, Handmap and an Etrex GPS.
Google Earth view of the escapade.

Tips and Tricks on Using Epocrates® Essentials to Improve Patient Care

Epocrates invites you to a Webcast :

Please join us for the following webcast on October 26 at 9 am PT:
Get the Most Out of Your Palm Handheld or Smartphone in Medicine —
Tips and Tricks on Using Epocrates® Essentials to Improve Patient Care

How do you use your Palm? Sure, you can use it to schedule meetings, send emails, and store photos and contact information, but is it helping you practice safely and effectively when it matters most? This webinar will explore how to use your Palm Handheld or Treo smartphone with Epocrates software to better meet the needs of your patients.
To register for this webcast please visit http://registration.intercall.com/view/113-11359.

Getting productive with my Treo650

Now I know why they call it a Treo. It's really got three in one functions - PDA, Phone and Keyboard. I used to pooh-pooh the tiny Treo keyboard but I really find it now quite easy to type and it really comes in handy.
Today I managed to quickly type a letter (in Native Word format using the bundled Documents to Go) in the ward. Previously, if I had wanted to do so, I would have had to carry my portable keyboard with me so the Treo with the builtin keyboard does save me carrying an extra device. It's a little slower than typing on a full-size keyboard but faster than graffiti. You'll soon get used to the tiny buttons, I can assure you.
The other aspect is connectivity. I realise one can now leave on an Instant Messenger continuously on the Treo. This would make it easier for people to contact me and messaging this way costs less than sending SMSs. This would not have been possible with a PDA + phone combo as it would mean the PDA would have to be on all the time and the battery really wouldn't last as long.
Accessing the Internet too is so easy with GPRS/Edge which is much more pervasive as compared with Wifi. I only wish though that data plans were more reasonable!
I really appreciate the built-in camera. I sometimes forget casual contacts and one of the best ways is to jog the memory with a picture. Adding pictures to the contact details is now literally a snap with the Treo's builtin camera.
So, if youare a Treo user, how productively do you use your device? It's much much more than a "smartphone". It's really a mobile office and communicator.

New in Freewarepalm

Spotted in Freewarepalm.com: FDA CFR Clinical Trials: an iSilo document conversion of the FDA's Code of Federal Regulations for Clinical Trials
Also check out Moody Log v2.0: This is very simple program to keep track your daily moods by date and time, you can define the moods that suit your own needs.

BreastFeed

MeisterMed has released BreastFeed, a document by the Massachussetts Breastfeeding Coalition- another great free iSilo booklet from the iSiloDepot

TheMeister Says: A great free reference to help clinicians promote breastfeeding. Includes information about frequently asked questions and troubleshooting early problems to avoid premature discontinuation of breastfeeding. Also details safety of common medications during breastfeeding. Very worthwhile. Get it.

Converting MobileDB to Handbase

Richard writes in:

Palmdoc, I'm more interested in the "how" you converted the MobileDB file to a HanDBase file than the bones file itself. I too am a HanDBase user but I must plead my ignorance in knowing how to convert other databases to HanDBase. Any information you could provide me would be very much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Thanks for writing Richard.
This is how I did it:
I donwloaded the trial for MobileDB PalmOS. There is a Desktop module which allows you to open the MobileDB database - from there you can export the table to CSV format. Open up the Handbase Desktop and import this CSV and then you can create the Handbase version.
HTH

CVMSTAT 2.0

Handheldmed has released CVMSTAT 2.0 in Palmgear

Application Description: CVMstat® provides leading edge information on hundreds of topics involving all aspects of cardiovascular medicine, including sections on diagnosis and management of peripheral arterial and venous disease. CVMstat® reviews and summarizes important clinical trials in cardiology and vascular medicine.

Bones of the Human Body

J Martin has uploaded Bones of the Human Body in Memoware. This is a database of the 206 bones of the human body and the location of each bone within the body. I suppose it could be useful for students of anatomy and for clinicians who tend to forget little bones like Pisiform, Triquetral (gee that one sounds unfamiliar!) etc.
The database is in MobileDB format. I am a Handbase user myself so I managed to convert the database to Handbase format - see screenshot on the left. You could use Handbase 3.0's custom views to filter the area you want to display. I find this function quite useful.
If anyone wants a copy, please write in and I shall be happy to email it to you.

TX and Z22 officially released

Well, Palm has officially released the long-rumored TX and Z22 models.
The TX is the "upgrade" to the T5 and has builtin dual wireless - Bluetooth 1.2 (a stemp up from 1.1 in the T5) and 802.11b standard Wifi.
Lots of reviews are now popping up and my pda-kaki Ebernie has a review roundup.

RxFiles

RxFiles is a Canadian site which promotes Objective Comparisons for Optimal Drug Therapy
RxFiles for PDA has a list of Comparison charts in MobileDB and Handbase formats. The Handbase files appear to be in an older format (Handbase 3.0 gave me a convert to new format option which worked well). The databases are mostly 2004 but there is an updated 2005 antibiotic comparison chart. There are some advantages over conventional drug databases for PDAs since at a glance you can compare things like prices and for example in the case of lipid lowering agents, their efficacy as shown in this screenshot:

Quit Smoking Tool for your PDA

Good news for smokers. The AHRQ has released a free PDA Interactive Tool to help you quit smoking.

To use the application, the smoker plugs in the date he or she wants to quit, and the program counts back 5 days leading up to the quit date. It then offers a 5-day countdown of daily practical steps to help the smoker quit, such as identifying reasons to quit smoking; talking to the doctor about medications, including the nicotine patch or gum; and getting support from family and friends.

The AHRQ provides more links and resources to Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence
Thanks to PalmAddicts for the heads-up.

Which is the best PDA Drug Reference?

I sometimes get asked this question and indeed it is a pertinent one, given the numerous options we have today.
There has recently been an independent study which addressed this question, conducted by the Georgetown University and published this year in Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (Knollmann, Bjorn C. MD, PhD; Smyth, Brendan J. MD, PhD; Garnett, Christine E. PharmD; Salesiotis, Anastasios N. MD; Gvozdjan, Dragoslav M. MD; Berry, N. Seth PharmD; Lee, Howard MD, PhD; Min, F. David MD Personal digital assistant-based drug reference software as tools to improve rational prescribing: Benchmark criteria and performance. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics. 78(1):7-18, July 2005)


You can download the entire article (PDF Format) here and read the criteria and methodology the authors used to reach their conclusions.

Screenshots of the comparison tables from the article:

In terms of Rational Prescribing Featurse, Pepid is the winner



In terms of Comprehensiveness of the drug database, looks like Lexidrugs leads the pack

What do you think? I think most of you use Epocrates which rates somewhere in the middle of the lot. Not bad considering the basic Epocrates Rx has the best price of all - FREE!

Skyscape updates

Skyscape has updated 2 titles in Palmgear:
Griffith’s 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2006 (5MCC6™) 8.0.1
Clinical Anesthesia, 5th Ed. (ClinAne2™) 8.0.1

Great apps for mobile Docs, particularly 5MCC which is very useful for daily practice. The latest version of 5MCC incorporates these features:

* Broad scope covers more than 1,000 commonly encountered medical problems with the most current diagnostic and treatment information available. * Proven 5-Minute format lets you locate and apply needed facts quickly. * ICD-9-CM code index offers quick access to disease classification and coding data. * 77 U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines on screening, counseling, immunizations, and chemoprophylaxis * New topics include: Genetic Risk Assessment and BRCA Mutation Testing for Breast and Ovarian Cancer Susceptibility, Overweight Children and Adolescents, Practice Guide, and Screening for Obesity in Adults * Integrated calculators within topics for quick access to relevant medical formulas. * Signs & Symptoms index allows you to select from a checklist of comprehensive symptoms to quickly see a list of matching diagnoses.

The whole world in your hands

Gee I didn't realise that ;)
MedPageToday features an article on PDAs in Medicine - much of the article summarises what most of you already know: PDAs are indispensible in modern medical practice. However I still encounter colleagues who look down on those who use PDAs - like we have forgotten how to use our brains or something. Well I disagree, that is if you use PDAs sensibly. Having a PDA is like having an extra brain. It doesn't replace what you have, it complements it. Not having a PDA with you on the other hand is functioning sub-optimally. You don't have facts at your fingertips. You are not checking the latest info, drug adverse effects, drug-drug interaction and a whole host of things during your patient encounters. Of course, it does not replace the core knowledge that every good physician should possess. And yes, I agree with the article that doctors should not be reduced to functioning at the brain stem level and employing the "Palmomental reflex" at every instance. That would be the undesirable other extreme!

Cabbage Palm

Epocrates has put up an interesting Case Study which demonstrates how their suite may be useful in a real-life patient scenario.
Its a nice little Demo - Flash required. View it - if you want to know what Cabbage Palm really is. (Hint: it has nothing to do with PDAs!)

Speaking of Epocrates, I'm even more convinced they have to get their act together and come out with a long overdue version which supports SD cards. I have had to temporarily ditch Epocrates as I can't fit it into the paltry Treo 650's Ram. I am sure other Treo users will much welcome Epocrates with full SD card support!

Family Practitioners are Embracing Mobile Medical Reference Solutions

Are they? I always though hospital based docs would be the first to happily embrace mobile referencing - something very useful when you are rounding or seeing consults.
Skyscape reports though that Fmaily Practitioners are also quickly turining to mobile references. Press release:

SAN FRANCISCO – Sept. 28, 2005 – Family Practitioners are enthusiastically embracing the use of mobile medical reference solutions and cite the timeliness of information and help in reducing medical errors among the greatest benefits, according to Skyscape, Inc., the leading provider of interactive mobile references for over 475,000 medical professionals. “Already well aware of the personal productivity advantages of PDAs, a rapidly increasing number of family practitioners are employing their mobile devices as digital medical reference tools,” said Sandeep Shah, president and CEO of Skyscape. The value of digital medical reference solutions among family practitioners is clear, Shah said. Physicians cite the timeliness of information and ability to instantly cross-index information between titles as the top two reasons for adopting the technology. Additional benefits include the accuracy and safety of referencing information from trusted sources, improving the quality of patient treatment at the point of care, and enhancements in personal productivity and efficiency. Skyscape continuously updates its 300+ mobile medical reference titles on Palm, Pocket PC PDAS and smartphones, providing a timely resource that print publications cannot match, he noted. In addition, Skyscape's patented smARTlink™ technology enables readers to easily cross-index with its other clinical and drug prescription products. Combined, the technologies deliver a powerful and integrated source of mobile information for family practitioners, Shah said. At Skyscape, the most popular downloaded titles by family practitioners include The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics, 31st Ed; Harrison's Manual of Medicine, 16th Ed.; Outlines in Clinical Medicine, and the PIER Evidence-Based database from the American College of Physicians. “Each physician typically has his or her own favorite texts – representing the ‘go to’ resources for the bulk of their daily reference needs. Today the print versions of those favorites largely remain in the office, as family practitioners load those same titles – in digital format – onto their PDAs to serve as up-to-date, anytime, anywhere mobile reference sources,” Shah said. "I find that many family practitioners are using mobile devices, today. I personally use my PDA on a daily basis and the Skyscape references have become central to my mobile medical library,” says Dr. Alvin B. Lin, MD, FAAFP. “The ability to look up every important detail in trusted references like Harrison’s and the PIER Evidence-Based database from the American College of Physicians is such a tremendous asset when it comes to providing quality care to my patients.” For more information, visit Skyscape in booth #3943 at the American Academy of Family Physician’s 2005 Scientific Assembly in San Francisco, Sept. 28 – Oct. 2, 2005. Skyscape is on the Net at http://www.skyscape.com.

Clinical Pulmonology

Pacific Primary Care have released the 2006 version of Clinical Pulmonology in Palmgear.

Application Description: Topics include: asthma, COPD, pneumonia, pneumonitis, lung cancer, sleep apnea, chronic cough, effusions, pleurisy, sarcoidosis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary hypertension, hemoptysis, lung nodules, dyspnea, vocal cord dysfunction, atelectasis, PFT's, chest X-ray.....

As one of their customers, I can testify that their iSilo compatible references are great. Simple and concise - handy references when you need them.

Free Emergency Responder Resource for PDAs

Got this Press Release:

MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Sept. 26, 2005 – Skyscape Inc. has updated its free “.911” emergency responder resource for Palm OS and Pocket PC devices with new recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) based on Hurricane Katrina experiences. Designed as a concise and user-friendly resource for PDA and smartphone use by first responders, medical professionals, and the general public, “.911” is free and available for download from Skyscape at: http://www.skyscape.com/hurricanes. The new CDC recommendations include both preparations to undertake when facing an approaching hurricane as well as recovery efforts and healthcare issues to address following a storm. Hurricane recovery topics include: * Preventing illness * Preventing injury * Keeping food & water safe * Clean up safety * Animal and insect hazards * Environmental concerns * Disaster mental health * CDC Katrina update Diagnosis, treatment, and vaccine information for infectious diseases that might threaten communities following a hurricane strike, is also included. In addition to the CDC, sources include The Medical Letter, and Outlines in Clinical Medicine/Medical Emergencies. “.911” content is automatically updated via Skyscape's patented smARTlink™ technology. smARTlink also enables users to cross-index information with other Skyscape clinical and drug prescription solutions.

Related post: PDA helps in hurricane relief work

I got a Treo650!

Well I have taken the Convergence route. Then again high time too since looking at what I usually carry (thank goodness for Dockers Mobile pants) you could say I was well and truly into Divergence, since I usually have 2 cell phones and 2 PDAs on me!
Anyway, my 2 cell phones (both Sony Ericssons, a t610 and a t68i) were giving a little trouble so instead of getting new phones, I managed to grab a used Treo 650 off Ebay. It's about 6 months old and in pristine condition. A new unlocked GSM Treo650 here would cost about US$636. I paid US$410 for mine.
Another reason I got the Treo 650 was the news that the next Treo is going to be a Windows Mobile powered device. That's not for me. So I will hold out till the rumoured Cobalt powered Palm Treo is released, and wait till the bugs are ironed out.
I'll post my Treo650 experiences in this thread in the MMR forums. I am struggling a bit with trying to optimise putting stuff into the paltry 23MB Ram. If you are an experienced Treo 650 Medical Palm user, I would love to hear from you.

First Aid Clinical Clerkship Series

Help is on the way for Medical Students and House officers. USBMIS has announced that PDA Applications are now available for The First Aid Clinical Clerkship Series in Medicine, Emergency Medicine, Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Surgery, and OB/GYN

Our applications contain all of the same trusted information as the text versions, plus many more exciting features: * Special Flash Card feature allows user to create high-yield study tools * Separate tabbed sections for High-Yield Exam Tips and Ward Tips * Create/Share Notes to customize patient information on any PDA * Dynamic hierarchy for rapid navigation of the contents * “Jump-To” combo box allows quick look-ups for epidemiology, etiology, signs & symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment * Calculators allow quick computation of medical formulas * Bookmarks enable frequently-accessed material to be found quickly

Geriatrics At Your Fingertips

The 2005th edition of the Geriatrics At Your Fingertips has been released.
The good news is that the PDA version (Palm and PPC) remains free (supported by a grant from The John A. Hartford Foundation).
This new PDA version offers several new, interactive features that enhance the guide's utility.
These include:
* a bookmark feature that allows you to quickly locate the references you use most frequently
* a "Jump To" navigation button that lets you quickly view all the subheadings under a particular topic and go directly to the specific information you're seeking
* more than 20 new working calculators and equations
* a new "Help" button that provides a guide to using the PDA version, and contact information for technical support
* a table that allows you to use inductive reasoning to find the answers to queries

What are you waiting for? Go grab it now!

Dataviz does native PDF too

Good news. Palminfocenter reports that Dataviz, the makers of Documents-To-Go, the Office Suite which comes bundled with your Palm Tungstens and Treos, will be demo-ing native PDF support (albeit in the Premium version of their Office suite)
Currently, we can get a Native PDF reader but have to use hacked software not designed originally for the Palm Tungsten or Treo. Actually, I don't see why Adobe can't get off their butts and improve their free Adobe reader for PalmOS and make it capable of reading native PDF files too. Just like their Pocket PC version.

Another reason to get a Palm

Brian of MedPDA.net has an amusing excuse for medical students to get Palm PDAs - so that they can impress on a first date!

Ok, so here's a med-student secret, if you want to impress a date, use your ANATOMY skills. Now, it may or may not impress them if you can rattle off the branches brachial plexus, or tell them the branches of the pudendals, but if you have a picture to back up what you're saying, now you're REALLY going to impress them. So if you're looking to impress on-the-fly, or just brush on your anatomy, this product is the one for you. Icon, the publisher of the famed Dr. Netter's works have released an interactive human anatomy reference tool for anyone and everyone from students to dateless lovebirds.

Who would have thought. Netters on your Palm to impress your date. Branches of the pudendal nerve... hmm.. that will really stir up interest.
LOL

Agendus 10

Iambic has released Agendus 10 which is a major upgrade over the previous version.
If like me, you rely heavily on your Palm to manage patient appointments, schedules and tasks, Agendus is a must. In fact I keep my patient details in a separate Contact category and rely on this to log activity into the Contact notes field, schedule new appointments etc. One feature I really missed from Supernames is the ability to link Contacts and now Agendus 10 has added this super feature. This is only one of the tons of other New features in Agendus. This is one worthy upgrade!

Palm Addict 2005 Reader Award Nominations

< shameless plug >
PalmAddicts are currently holding a 2005 Reader Award Nominations. What you need to do now is to head over to the polling booth and don't forget to cast a vote for the Palmdoc Chronicles
< / shameless plug >

MiniRX 3.0

MiniRX 3.0 looks like an interesting application if you are concerned about tracking your medication and prescription refills.

Application Description: # Records user names, medication names, Rx#s, refills, costs, refill and alarm dates, quantities, dose, doctors, pharmacies, generics, and notes. Includes two free utilities. # Multi-user so you can store your information as well as anyone elses. # Links with your address book to find pharmacy or doctor phone numbers. # The first allows you to transfer data to/from your PC. # The second lets you print/view reports from your PC or export a report to HTML.

At $9.99 I think it's worth checking out.

LabNotes

Skyscape has released LabNotes: Guide to Lab & Diagnostic Tests in Palmgear

A Davis's Notes book, LabNotes provides students, nurses, and other health professionals with a quick and portable reference tool for competently explaining, preparing, and caring for patients before, during, and after common lab and diagnostic testing. Concise information explains lab reference ranges and considerations, diagnostic test purposes and procedures, pre-test preparation, and post-test care.

No, that's not the perfect PDA

A Windows powered Treo as the perfect PDA? Good grief.
No, I hope Bruce McKenzie comes to his senses and realises that "Mac friendly" and Windows Mobile don't go together. My experience with PPC 2003 on a 600MHz Dell Axim x50v is that it is a SLOW, INEFFICIENT OS. I still rely on my trusty Tungsten T3 for my day to day PIM apps. Sure, Versamail does not support Gmail but there are others which do e.g. Snappermail.
My perfect PDA? Perhaps the rumoured Cobalt powered Treo

Free cardiopulmonary apps

Spotted in Freewarepalm :-

Puff v2.5

Description: Puff - This application allows users to quickly calculate predicted values for spirometry, flow-volume and body plethysmography using the patient's age, height and gender.

O2 Tank v2.5

Description: O2 Tank - An application that allows users to calculate the amount of time a specific cylinder of oxygen will last, given the tank pressure, cylinder size and the rate of flow.

ABG Decoder v3.5

Description: ABG Decoder - An analysis engine that allows users to interpret blood gas values.

Top Flow v1.5

Description: Top Flow - This application enables a perfusionist to quickly calculate cardiac outputs for a range of cardiac indexes using the patient's height and weight

The author, Metaworks, has updated all the above to be PalmOS 5 compatible

New Palm Models!

Palminfocenter has kicked off the official rumour season as October approaches. The rumour mill is grinding and there's a hint of a couple of new models next month - see the PIC article: Upcoming Palm Tungsten T X and Zire 22
The Palm Tungsten X would be what the T5 should have been in the first place, especially if it indeed has a 320x480 pixel display, 128MB of non-volatile memory, 802.11b WiFi, Bluetooth 1.2, digital camera and a voice recorder! If it has the usual useful software bundle like Docs2Go, then it'll be a solid bundle that I will look forward to as a T3 replacement.

PDA helps in hurricane relief work

There have been numerous physician accounts of their experiences with Hurricane Katrina including the widely circulated email by Greg Henderson and the account by Max Brito. Joseph Pulvirenti, M.D.writes of his in Marooned at the Ritz

Back in the clinic, we developed a medical record form documenting our patients. We only had a blood pressure cuff and flashlights, but we were later able to fashion a rudimentary stethoscope (Marcy from Galveston did this) using a semi-stethoscope from a blood pressure cuff attached to a small plastic dosing cup with a hole cut in the bottom for the tubing to be threaded through. The most common issues in the beginning were medication refills; many of the guests had chronic medical conditions and had brought only limited supplies of medications. We refilled as many meds as we could and substituted when we had to. Luckily my PDA had Epocrates, which was very helpful. We also saw panic attacks and sinus and asthma complaints. These conditions were worsened by the heat and humidity and stench of a hotel without airconditioning sitting in three feet of sewer water with backed-up toilets with 90-100 degree temperatures outside. In parts of the hotel the temperatures and humidity were far higher.

We can only marvel at the heroics of the healthcare providers and their ingenuity when faced with adversity with scarce resources. At least Dr. Pulvirenti had his Palm and Epocrates to help him. Last year when the Tsunami struck Asia, a colleague of mine, "Orenjus", volunteered to help and went to Sri Lanka, I did remind him to take his Palm along with him.
You never know when disaster will strike. Moral of the story? Don't leave home without your PDA!

ActiveECG™ bundle for the Treo 650

It's an interesting week for medical PDA users who make use of ECGs.
Apart from the new Skyscape release ECG Notes, you might be interested to know that you could use your Treo650 as a portable ECG monitoring device! Imagine if you are a truly mobile Physician and you want to be able to ascertain your patient's heart rhythm, there is a product called ActiveECG, a unique hardware/software add-on, which allows you to do this. The makers of ActiveECG now announce Treo650 support as well.

Active Corporation Announces an ActiveECG™ bundle for the palmOne® Treo 650 CASTINE, Maine – September 13, 2005 – Active Corporation, Inc., producer of portable medical devices used “when life is on the line™,” today announced a product bundle specifically for the palmOne Treo 650. ActiveECG is an inexpensive, handheld, professional cardiac monitor which can be used with palmOne handheld computers. The ActiveECG for Treo 650 bundle will include the ActiveECG cardiac monitor and accessories, and a Treo 650 compatible serial cable produced by PN Technologies (www.pcables.com), a $65 value at no additional charge. ActiveECG was first introduced in 2001 for Palm OS® handheld computers and has seen success in many applications including home health care, emergency medicine, and veterinary medicine. It was the first Palm OS based device to receive FDA 510(k) clearance for diagnostic use. ActiveECG provides real-time display of ECG data and recording of ECG “strips” on a Palm OS handheld. ECG strips can be stored, reviewed and printed on any compatible PC, or transmitted to other computers or handhelds. This capability allows quick and easy remote diagnosis. “The popularity of Palm’s Treo 650 has soared,” stated Jeffrey Siegel, President of Active Corporation. “We wanted to make it simple for Treo 650 users to obtain all the components they need to turn their handheld device into a diagnostic quality, portable cardiac monitor. With this product bundle, they can purchase everything they need in one place.” Active Corporation is also announcing today the immediate availability of ActiveECG for Treo 650 via its eCommerce site http://www.activecenter.com. Orders may also be placed via phone at (207) 326-9100. ActiveECG for Treo 650 has a price of $699 and includes the ActiveECG hardware, a Treo 650 compatible serial cable, software for the Treo 650 and companion software for the PC, ECG leadwires, battery, test cable, extra cover, one set of ECG electrodes and is covered by a one-year warranty. More information on Active Corporation and ActiveECG is available at http://www.activecenter.com. Press Contacts: Active Corporation (207) 326-9100

Skyscape does VGA

Got this email from Spinosum which should interest Pocket PC users:
"Thought this might interest you! I just came across (after downloading and installing the trial version) the ECG Notes: Interpretation and Management from Skyscape (just released on 1/9/05) is in fact full VGA display!! Really superb for the first time viewing this skyscape software on my Dell x50v! The words and diagrams are so crisp and sharp!! In fact now i look back at the other softwares i purchased (eg 5MCC 2005) i just awful!! ;(

Anyway, hope skyscape will continue this good effort! "

Thanks for the tip, Spinosum. No I wasn't aware. And no, I haven't gone over completely to the "dark side" as I use the Dell Axim only for select applications (Skype VOIP and UpToDate Pocket PC in particular). Most of the time I still use my trusty Palm Tungsten T3!

A couple of Pharma updates

JavaPK for PalmOS PDA has been updated in Palmgear

JavaPK (JPK) is a clinical pharmacokinetic program (or therapeutic drug monitoring, TDM) designed to run on a PalmOS-based PDA and a Java-supported cellular phone. The program contains individualized pharmacokinetic parameters estimation for digoxin, aminoglysocides (gentamicin, tobramycin & amikacin), vancomycin, phenytoin and cyclosporin-A using both Sawchuk-Zaske method and Bayesian method. With Bayesian estimation, one can use any single-blood sample (at steady-state) to estimate individual pharmacokinetic parameters. For more information: http://ce.kmu.edu.tw/JavaPK.htm.

OnTimeRx® 2.5 has also been updated in Palmgear

Award-winning OnTimeRx® is a valuable healthcare tool developed by a pharmacist. *For people or for pets*, it works equally well on Treo 600s or basic Palm PDAs. Features pill reminder alarms for each drug dose and displays remaining Days Supply on each alarm screen. Schedule all To Do events, doctor appointments, and other healthcare activities in On Time Rx. With editable dropdowns and help TIPS throughout, OnTimeRx® is easy to customize for specific patient needs. It can also be localized for many other languages with International symbols.

Diagnostic aids

Dov of PalmAddicts talks about Putting a Doctor in Your Pocket, and specifically Diagnosaurus, a free differential diagnosis tool by McGraw-Hill. It's not bad and priced very nicely too.
I was reminded to see how Diagnosis Pro is faring in the PDA scene. Their web page still states "A Palm version is currently in development". It's been in development for like 2 years now since I last contacted them. Hopefully the wait will be over soon!!

Native PDF reader update

Earlier I blogged about Pics_el Browser hacked by enthusiasts and working as a native PDF reader for the Palm.
There were problems with the earlier attempts as launching the program gives rise to a "Document Error" message as it is trying to open a missing help file, if you try to change the program settings the Palm crashed and the menus were in Japanese/Chinese.
Browsing thru the usual Palm forums, I learnt that a newer version has been hacked together which has corrected these problems.

You can now change the settings and the menu is in English (item circled in red)


The "Document Error" on startup is due to a missing help file but no problems, as now with the Settings, you can just start up with a blank page or previously opened file and the error is gone.


Pics_el Browser has not been officially released (it was only previously bundled with some PDAs/Smartphones) but I think they should not just look for PalmOS licensees since the earlier notable licensees are no more in the PalmOS business. They should instead look to market this to the PalmOS user community and I think there will be tons of people most happy to purchase it. Many medical Palm users would certainly be amongst their customers since journal articles are commonly read in PDF format. Right now, it is only restricted to the Palm enthusiasts who have to resort to this hacking and quite intricate installation method (not the usual easy Hotsync installation) - definitely not for the ordinary Palm PDA user who is normally not into such experimenting with their PDAs.

Rumours of the next Treo

This thread in Treocentral has got me all excited again about a possible new Treo - perhaps to be released by the end of the year.
Rumoured specs according to one post in that long thread:
* Palm OS Cobalt 6.1
* 64 MB Ram (NVFS)
* 1xEvDo radio
* Bluetooth 1.2 Stack (with A2DP profile enabled?)
* reset button on outside left
* Headphone jack on top
* No PTT
* No wifi
* Sprint Nextel version?

The OS version doesn't bother me so much but if it were the new Cobalt, I might hold back a little to see what bugs appear. 64MB is what I'm looking for as medical spps like Epocrates and some others like Avantgo really eat Ram.
I have over 5000 contacts now and on my T5 and it's NVFS Ram similar to the Treo's, the database really bloats so 64MB would be welcome as well.
BT 1.2 would be really interesting too. One of the cool things I notice about the Dell Axim x50v is I can stay connected with my BT phone via GPRS and still send an SMS out to the same phone.
No wifi? Not that important but at least get those Wifi drivers written, Palm!
I said it before and I'll say it again - Palm must come out with a model without that silly external antenna - it just otherwise won't sell as well as it could in Asia and Europe. People will superficially compare with other smartphones like the smaller O2XDA Mini which looks more compact and sleek.

Some PPC apps

Occasionally I dip over to see some software from the "dark side" and I spotted a couple which might or might not interest you.
Hangovers Remedy - Acupressure Guide 3.0is completely free. It's also devoid of any RCTs to backup its effectiveness but that's another matter ;) The blurb says "Acupressure is an effective way to relieve painful sensation associated with hangover. The full version is free."
International Travel and Health 1.0 costs $19.99. Before you part with your money, you might be interested to know that you can also pop over to the WHO website and there you can download the PDFs for free! You could use the PPC's free Adobe reader to read the PDFs.

Statistics for doctors

Spotted in freewarepalm.com: Stati v6.2

Description: Statistic Calculator (scatterplot, histogram, individual chart...).

Coincidentally, Doc Tamil just emailed me a bunch of links to Basic Statistics For Doctors, from the Singapore Medical Journal (all PDF format). So this app might come in handy for students of statistics!
The list of articles:
101: Data Presentation (June 2003)
102: Quantitative Data - Parametric & Non-Parametric Tests (August 2003)
103: Qualitative Data - Tests of Independence (October 2003)
104: Correlational Analysis (Decemeber 2003)
201: Linear Regression Analysis (February 2004)
202: Logistic Regression Analysis (April 2004)
203: Survival Analysis (June 2004)
301: Repeated Measurement Analysis (GLM) (August 2004)
301A: Repeated Measurement Analysis - mixed models (GLM) (October 2004)
302: Principal Component & Factor Analysis (December 2004)
303: Discriminant Analysis (February 2005)
304: Cluster Analysis (April 2005)
305: Multinomial Logistic Regression (June 2005)
306: Log-linear models - Poisson Regression (August 2005)
Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) - Essentials (Feb 2003)
Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) - Sample Size: The Magic Number? (April 2003)
Evidence-based medicine and healthcare: advancing the practice(Sept 2004) - Editorial
What is this thing called EBM?(Sept 2004)
Finding the evidence: resources and skills for locating information on clinical effectiveness (Dec 2004)
How to read a paper: critical appraisal of studies for application in healthcare (March 2005)
Systematic reviews and meta-analysis (June 2005)
Critically appraised topics and evidence-based medicine journals (Sept 2005)

Email me if you are interested and I'll send you the download links to the articles.

Davis's Drug Guide for Physicians

Medical Wizards Corporation has released Davis's Drug Guide for Physicians in Palmgear

Davis's Drug Guide for Physicians with Integrated Calculators, based on Davis's Drug Guide (FA Davis Co) is a remarkable advance in drug reference. DDGPIC contains the entire content of the Davis s Drug Guide (9th Edition) - and has integrated calculation tools with all weight based medications. This product merges many of the advantages of weight based drug dosing calculation with a comprehensive drug reference. The user should review the integrated critical care infusion calculators for items such as dopamine, nitroglycerin, amiodarone, and over 30 other common critical care medications. The flashing red calculator icon alerts the user when looking up a drug that a calculator is available. DDGPIC includes over 5000 trade and generic drugs, nearly 140 drug classifications, over 1000 drug monographs and 700 commonly used combination drugs.

Anesthesia Clinical Tutor and Calculator

Are you a "gasshead"? I was surfing around and stumbled upon the Anesthesia Clinical Tutor and Calculator - free download and it seems chock-a-block with great features:

Description: It is designed to teach and simplify the everyday calculations that are involved in our Anesthesia Practice By inputting simple variables, such as Patient type, weight, NPO status, evaporative constants, and certain blood values it produces patient specific information to include: •Fluid Requirements, Hourly, Evaporative, NPO (HTN and Non HTN) with an hourly total guide •Pediatric Drug dosages (recommended and weight based). Default categories include – Induction, Sedatives, Analgesics, Paralytics, Antiemetics, and PALS. Adult database is to be added with the next Version- see below for future additions •Allowable Blood Loss (user defined starting and ending points) •Estimated Blood Volume •Current HCT with ongoing Blood Loss •Transfusion Guide with Required Whole Blood and PRBC ( provided in CCs and Units required) •Coagulapathic guidance ( Wt Based FFP calculations, Unit Number and Weight based Platelet transfusion guide, Cryoprecipitate Information) •Emergency Drip information providing weight based dosages along with a Drip Calculator •Malignant Hyperthermia Emergent and Non Emergent Information and Dose guides (both in mg, CCs, and Vials required). Reproduced with permission from the Malignant Hyperthermia Association.

Clinical Pediatrics -- MobiReader Version 2006

Clinical Pediatrics -- MobiReader Version 2006 has been released by Pacific Primary Care

Application Description Topics include: Adolescent medicine, Behavioral & Developmental issues, vaccinations, well child visits, fever work-ups, emergencies, PALS, pediatric syndromes, sleep disorders, GI, nephrology, urology, many orthopedic conditions, dehydration, dermatology, ENT, growth, puberty, routine examinations. Pediatric medicines and dosing. Neonatal care, breast feeding and much more.

AFAIK it should be compatible with iSilo too.

Gmail in your Palm

Mobile Docs love email on the go. I have had occasion to respond to urgent email regarding clinical matters while on the road and even at the airport!
Gmail is "almost" open to the public and you can actually sign up for a Gmail account if you have a US mobile phone. (If you don't then email me for an invitation - while stocks last!) Don't you just love the 2 Gb space!
Buit how do you get Gmail on your PDA?
One way is via your browser and you can use sites like Pocket Gmail
However, did you know you could access Gmail with with your Palm's Email client?
Doc Tamil of PalmX has put up a web page which shows you Step by Step how to get GMail On Your PDA via GPRS
The example uses Versamail but should work with most PDA email clients. Great job Doc Tamil!

eMedicine: Consumer Health

Skyscape has produced another Consumer orientated PDA product eMedicine: Consumer Health

eMedicine's Consumer Health - written by physicians for patients and consumers - is continuously updated and provides the most current information on thousands of diseases and disorders. Each topic is reviewed by 2 physicians and a PharmD and covers a full range of health issues affecting men, women and children with special sections covering first aid and emergencies as well as exercise, nutrition, and weight management.

Speed writing

Doctors are always in a hurry. One of the things which slows down our use of PDAs is the input.
I have tried and use both PalmOS and Windows Mobile input systems. The latter has more options for input but for ease of use I still prefer PalmOS Graffiti as it allows input not only in the "silk screen area" but also Full screen graffiti. This is in contrast to the Pocket PC where the Graffiti input is limited to a fixed area at the bottom of the screen. Full screen writing on the PPC is limited to a slow character recognition system.
Ed Hardy of Brighthand has started to an Editorial on How to Speed up Your Text Entry. Ed didn't mention a couple of things though:
One of the nice things about the PPC is there is a small builtin dictionary which prompts you to complete There are 3rd party applications for PalmOS which give you options to do this too (Word Complete and TextPlus). I have tried the latter but in the end I am sticking with good old Graffiti Shortcuts.
There are things in development as well, like a new system of writing on a PDA using pattern recognition, as mentioned by Dobbs

So does writing on a PDA frustrate you? I konw some of my colleagues have been in the initial stages but I can assure you after a bit of practice, you'll improve in time. Learn to use Palm's Graffiti shortcuts as it really saves a lot of time.

Eponyms updated and Traube's space

Andrew Yee has updated Eponyms
Version v1.84 now contains 1580 eponyms - it's available for Palm and Pocket PC.
So if you want to know what Rovsing's sign is (as well as 1579 other Eponyms) - then grab this freebie now!

On a related note, one of the annoying things I find in my part of the world, is the misinterpretation of the eponym "Traube's space". Many are taught wrongly that it corresponds to an area of resonance in the 9th, 10th and 11th space anterior to the left mid-axillary line. While correct that if dull, it may suggest splenomegaly, this is NOT Traube's space. Hopefully Andrew Yee's Eponyms has this and defines it correctly.

Traube's space

Also known as: Traube's semilunar space Associated persons: Ludwig Traube Description: A crescent-shaped space about 12 mm wide, just above the costal margin. It is due to gas in the stomach which produces a vesiculotympanitic sound.

CreativeAlgorithms

Justine from CreativeAlgorithms wrote in:

I happened to notice some of your blog entries when I was looking on Palm Addicts. You were recently discussing Palm date calculators and travel applications. Coincidentally, we are a small developer of Palm apps and have two apps that fall into these categories. Let me start by introducing myself: I'm Justine Pratt, 1/2 of Creative Algorithms. We are a husband and wife team. We wrote Date Wheel a while back and I used it to count down when I was pregnant with my two kids. I also used it as a program manager for determining lead time (my husband originally wrote it for me, as a replacement for my plastic wheel). While it's not freeware, we've been told it has one of the best UI of the date calculators out there. FWIW. :) We also have an app, Trip Boss, that is designed to keep track and record all your trip data. We have a major upgrade coming out soon thatwill even better enhance the itinerary section, adding custom itinerary entry for common itinerary items, such as airline travel, car rentals, and hotels. We even added a meeting planning section to this--a lot of customers wanted to plan their agendas for traveling within the program. (I noticed you mentioned planning for conferences.) I recently used Trip Boss when I attended a PalmSource developer conference.

Thanks for sharing your PDA apps Justine. I have heard of your apps but have not used them before and yes, they sound like they are good alternatives for the PDA toting doctor who needs to work out Dates and also plan trips.
PDA users may also be interested in the CreativeAlgorithm's freeware Calorie factor.

This might be it...

Well, this could be my next Palm, if this rumour proves to be true. The specs of course are not known, but give me at least a 64MB Treo, decent battery life, BT 1.2, then I might be sorely tempted - especially as my SE phones ( T610 and T68i) are exhibiting some unhealthy symptoms like suddenly resetting and going bonkers from time to time. I don't even mind the external antenna though as this model is a little curvier than it's predecessor and the antenna a bit more stubby and less obvious.
I read in the same PIC thread that the silly external antenna is there to pander to the American misconception that an antenna sticking out means better reception (I also like the comment that it could be there so they know which way is up). In Europe and Asia, external antennae on phones are so passé, so I sincerely hope Palm finally gets the message and loses the external antenna if it hopes to boost global sales.
I used to be a little reticient about getting a smartphone but now that hospital administrators are less uneasy about cellphones around the premises, I think it's not a bad idea.....

DermMeister released!

Andrew Schechtman announces that the full and unabridged version of DermMeister is now available for download from the
MeisterMed website and from the Medical iSilo(tm) Depot.

A free dermatology Atlas for your PDA!

Date calculator II

I stand corrected as Go has provided a useful tip in the comments to my post on the Date Calculator : it's still available on the WWW! Great news!

Go says

You can find Dates! Ver.2.11 on the web as below. http://www.tucows.com/preview/34704 And I find a comment about Dates! on http://www.lawtechguru.com/archives/2004/01/09_great_date_calculator_for_your_palm.html that I think you found the blog already. Japanese doctor made a date calculator, but it has some calculating bug especially about month and date.

Thanks very much for the tip Go! I really Googled and Googled for Dates! and somehow I could not locate it. I did not think of looking in Tucows but thank goodness for Tucows and their mirror sites!
Jeff Beard in the quoted blog advises people to backup their Palms before installing Dates! as it was written in 2000 for Palm OS 3.5
I can tell you I have it running on my T3 and T5 without any noticeable problems - and that is testimony to the original author's coding. YMMV though, so it is better to be safe than sorry and backup before trying any new software.
Btw, Go has a great blog which has a Palm Medical software category and even if you don't understand Japanese, http://translate.google.com comes to the rescue, and this is only a click away if you use the Googlebar extension for Firefox: Go's Palm Medical Software Blog (translated to English)

Date calculator

Puppymaniac wrote me an email as feedback for Haemoncrules:

Please add a date calculator to the program - It would be very useful for counting number of days since last cycle of chemo and especially days since transplant. Thank you.

Thanks for the suggestion P.
I do use a date calculator myself and one of the gems is Dates (last version 2.1, freeware by one Marty Wilber and I am afraid nowhere to be found on the WWW anymore - email me if you are desperate ;) ) This wonderful program allows you to calculate the number of days or weeks from a particular date, and can work out the future date for a set number of dates or weeks. This is great for what you want - counting the number of days from the last cycle of chemo or days post-transplant. I also use it to work out a future appointment date "x" number of weeks from a particular date. There is even a Datebook button which will jump to the Datebook application (built-in or the one mapped to your Datebook button). It works in OS 5.x still as far as I can tell.

There is one more Date calculator, a freebie called DateToolz written by yours truly. Its more amateurish compared to Dates but it gets the job done, even if I say so myself ;)

I haven't bothered incorporating a date calculator in Haemoncrules as this app does everything already and I find it easy to switch from HOR to Dates (I highly recommend McPhling as a very fast application switcher; or you can also try the freebie Switch5)

MD on Tap

Pubmed on Tap has now been renamed MD On Tap and the latest version 1.7 is now available for download from the National Library of Medicine
MD on Tap is an application for PDAs that retrieves MEDLINE® citations directly from the PDA through a wireless connection to the Internet
Versions for both PalmOS and PPC are available.
Freeware

Plan that conference with your Palm

I was reading in Chip magazine recently on using the Internet to plan for an overseas trip. Well it was remarkably similar to how I do it - but it's much simpler really with a Palm PDA. Many of you will travel overseas 1 or more times a year to attend a medical conference and if you have a PDA, I can assure you life is much easier.

The most essential app I believe is Worldmate. This is the jack-of-all-trades application for the world traveller. It has built-in world clocks so you can keep track of your local time, calculate time differences, set alarms etc. Need to look up the weather in your destination? No problem. When you sync, Worldmate updates the weather forecast. You could do that online too if you have wireless Internet access (e.g. via Wifi or GPRS). Check currency? No problem as well since Worldmate updates the rates via the Internet too. Its invaluable as a tool to calculate the equivalent in the local currency. I also find the Packing list useful to keep track of things to take along on the trip.There's lots more like International area codes. If you have the Pro version, you could even subscribe to Flight schedules but I haven't tried that.


I have SplashID with me to keep my confidential data - bank accounts, credit cards, passport numbers, etc. so these vital bits of information are always available and encrypted in a secure format. My Palm's contact database has the credit card service centre numbers and other key contacts (amongst my 5000+ contacts!) so that is invaluable to me.

Next - Maps. Don't want to get lost at your next destination? You have a choice of Mapopolis where you can purchase Maps online. If you have a Bluetooth GPS unit, then with Mapopolis and the appropriate map, you definitely won't get lost! There's also the free Metro which is a subway guide to more than 300 cities around the world. Still not covered? What I sometimes do is download or scan in maps and just use my Palm's Imageviewer to view the digital image of the map.

Next, the conference itself. I usually like to organize myself way before the meeting. I use Agendus as my Calendar replacement and as you can see in this particular meeting (the 10th World Myeloma Workshop in Sydney 2005) I attended, I've already keyed in the sessions I planned to attend. The Notes field of each meeting is used for me to enter my own notes. Don't bother about trying to input notes with Graffiti or your stylus. Get a portable keyboard. It's much much faster. The PDA + portable keyboard is a much more mobile solution than a notebook which is bulkier.
If you want to try a dedicated Lecture note-taking application, I suggest you try Lecturemate and I blogged about it here.

Lastly I use my Palm PDA to keep in touch with home. Not by espensive voice calls but by SMS. I confess I have sent/received messages in the midst of attending conference lectures before (phone was in silent mode of course!) If you have a Pocket PC with Wifi access, you could even use Pocket Skype to save on phone calls.

That's all I can think of for now. If you have any tips on how you use your PDA while attending conferences, do chat with me in my little forum

Clinical Nephrology 2006 v2

Pacific Primary Care have updated their popular and value-for-money iSilo reference Clinical Nephrology 2006 v2 in PalmGear

Application Description: Topics include: acute & chronic renal failure, edema, hypertension, acid-base physiology, hematuria, proteinuria, rhabdomyolysis, electrolytes, urinalysis, cystic diseases, cancer, RTA, drug dosing in renal failure, cystic casease, renal drug toxicity, electrolytes, labs, kidney transplant and more much, much more...

My next Palm

As we approach the last quarter of 2005, I eagerly anticipate Palm's (no longer palmOne) upcoming models. Palm traditionally releases a high-end model sometime in October.
I am currently back to using my faithful T3, after Palm Asia graciously replaced my out-of-warranty digitizer-gone-crazy-again and screen-suddenly died-on-me-yet-again T3. The T3 is still working well, but as a loyal Palm user, I always look forward to new PDAs with the features I want.
The Lifedrive is not for me simply because of size. It is just too big for my pocket. I need to carry a PDA in my pocket - otherwise I won't be using it as often as I should.
The Treo650 is also not for me as there is far too little Ram.

I am looking forward to these:
1) A Treo Smartphone with at least 64 MB (preferably 128MB) Ram and running Palm OS6 (well I don't really mind frankengarnet if that's all they'll release). Hopefully it'll have 3G support and not only Edge. Wifi is optional. Lose that silly antenna, Palm! It's sooooo ugly.
2) A T3 with better battery and builtin Wifi. There are some rumours about an upcoming Palm model with all the bells and whistles but 300+ MHz processor. We'll see.

What I DON'T WANT to see is Palm releasing a model running Windows Mobile. This will certainly dismay alot of your loyal customers. Please think carefully.

LabAid v1.0

This one is for you guys in the lab - LabAid is out of beta and 1.0 has been released. Freeware.

Description: This software lets you search amino acids by their single or three letter code as well as by mRNA codons.

Epocrates on an expansion card

Well only a partial solution.
From Epocrates Customer Support:

Question Does Epocrates work on an expansion card? Answer If you are a Palm/Windows user with Dx or Essentials, you can now store Dx on your memory card. To do this, you will need to re-download the latest version of the software from your My Account page and choose the Memory Card as the location for Dx. To do this, go to www.epocrates.com and click on My Account. Sign in if needed and then look for the download button next to DX or Essentials. When you click it you will go to a new page that allows you to choose Expanded Memory or Main Memory as the destination for DX. Follow the remaining on screen instructions to save the file to your desktop and continue with the installation as you normally would. Our server will automatically place the files on the card during the first AutoUpdate. Currently, our applications are not compatible with the Sony memory stick or memory expansion cards on a Pocket PC mobile device.

Thanks to mel for the heads-up.

Free Cancer Prediction Tools for your PDA

Leo at MedPDA.net has made another great discovery. The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center has made available a whole bunch of free cancer prediction tools. What's even better is that you get not only online (flash) versions but if you provide your email address, they will send you a link for downloading versions for PalmOS and PocketPC!

New releases from Skyscape

Well I think these are new. Haven't spotted these earlier.

Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care 2005
Special PDA/Desktop Bundle - only $19.95!

Description: Now available for the PDA or Desktop PC as a compendium of the most current clinical practice guidelines in primary care. Perfect for on-the-spot consultation in the clinic or on the wards, this reference features updated guidelines for screening and primary prevention and treatment recommendations in a readily accessible, easy to follow format. Key Features: * Updated with the latest screening, prevention, and treatment guidelines for over 60 common conditions * NEW guidelines address managment of metabolic syndrome, palliative and end-of-life issues, prenatal care, and smoking cessation * All guidelines updated and annotated with new studies * Immunization schedules for children and adults, including influenza update for 2004/2005

Bethesda Handbook of Clinical Oncology, 2nd Ed

Description: The Bethesda Handbook of Clinical Oncology, Second Edition is now available in PDA format for quick, easy consultation at the bedside. Prepared by clinicians from the National Cancer Institute and other leading institutions, this handheld reference covers all malignancies and offers busy clinicians practical guidelines on daily patient management. The user-friendly format features tables, charts, bullet points, and algorithms. Coverage includes: * Interactive Flow Charts help walk you through a decision - NEW * New chemotherapeutic agents, dosages, and treatment regimens * The latest clinical trials data * Entries on targeted therapies and complementary and alternative medicine in oncology