Press release:
San Mateo, Calif., February 8, 2006 - Epocrates announced today that its widely adopted mobile and web-based clinical applications can now be linked to products developed by healthcare information system (HIS) partners. The Epocrates Linx™ Partner Program enables developers of mobile and desktop health information solutions, such as electronic medical records (EMRs) and ePrescribing applications, to integrate their systems and data with Epocrates solutions.
"With national and local initiatives underway to encourage adoption of EMRs and other healthcare information technologies, this announcement could not come at a better time," said John Halamka, MD, CIO of Harvard Medical School. "The ability to integrate Epocrates trusted products with new applications will help clinicians become more comfortable and open to incorporating more technology into their daily practice."
The incorporation of Epocrates solutions with EMRs and other HIS technologies promises to assist physicians in providing better patient care. In a recent survey of Epocrates customers, more than 75 percent of physicians reported they are more likely to use an EMR system if it is coupled with Epocrates' clinical applications. In addition, more than 90 percent believe they can make more informed and confident decisions with the integrated solution.
Epocrates currently partners with multiple healthcare IT developers of hospital-based, ambulatory care and multi-environment solutions. Epocrates' collaboration with partners such as, Allscripts, DrFirst, InstantDx, MercuryMD, PatientKeeper and SOAPware, increases interoperability among technologies and offers clinicians one convenient location for patient and clinical information via mobile devices or Internet connection.
"Since its inception, Epocrates has been the leading developer of clinical reference solutions proving that clinicians will enthusiastically embrace technology that assists in the improvement of patient safety and care on a daily basis. By working with Epocrates, we have found that our systems are becoming more valuable and viable during physician-patient interactions," said Randall Oates, MD, President, SOAPware, Inc.
Epocrates Linx allows HIS vendors to download the Epocrates application program interface (API) to create a customized user interface within their system. Vendors have the ability to embed hyperlinks within their HIS systems that will lead users directly to the relevant information in Epocrates' reference applications, increasing efficiency and convenience for clinicians. This seamless integration allows clinicians to move from one application to another, allowing them to review a patient record and then immediately access Epocrates' clinical information, including dosing, drug interactions, pricing, health plan coverage, and more.
"The marriage of our popular applications and our partners' real-time patient data enables clinicians to access critical information - from potential drug side effects to patient vaccination history - seamlessly and instantaneously," said Kirk Loevner, chairman and chief executive officer for Epocrates. "By working with current and future partners to connect our applications, we are supporting the needs of our customers and helping improve care for their patients."
Epocrates mobile and Internet-based products, including Epocrates Rx® and Epocrates® Online free drug and formulary applications, are used by more than 500,000 healthcare professionals. To learn more about the Epocrates and the Linx Partner Program, visit http://www2.epocrates.com/services/integration.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Just The Facts In Emergency Medicine
USBMIS is having a special offer on Just The Facts In Emergency Medicine
The special offer valid till Feb 12th is a $10 discount off the regular price
 Just The Facts In Emergency Medicine, PDA Edition is the perfect tool to prepare for in-service or licensing exams, for recertification, or for use as a clinical refresher. Features include: * Effectively condenses Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine, 5, for a concise, yet comprehensive review. * Standardized, bulleted format stresses key points of epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis and differential, and ED care and disposition. * At-a-glance use of prioritized and numbered treatments, quick-reference tables, and key figures assure quick absorption of the material. * Includes special sections that review the various written exams and provide test-taking tips and strategies. * Provides state-of-the art information on antiplatelet agents, pain management, stroke management, new treatments for viral disorders, and more. |
The special offer valid till Feb 12th is a $10 discount off the regular price
eMedicine series in your Palm
I mentioned in Free Medical Books a great online resource for obtaining free medical texts and information.
I particularly like the eMedicine series which have well written reviews. The eMedicine terms of use allows you to download articles to your PDA for your personal use.
Just surf over to the eMedicine TOC and select the topic of your choice. In my case I selected eMedicine Hematology
My preferred reader is iSilo so I'll use this an example.
You can use iSiloX to fetch the links (set it to link depth 1 and restrict it to the emedicine.com domain) .
The end product is quite readable on the Palm but I had to set iSilo to "no tables" to avoid having to scroll left and right when reading the articles.
Here is a composite view of several screenshots:
Another popular reader is Plucker. This one is free and works just as well as iSilo. If you want an application to fetch the pages and convert it to Plucker format, I would recommend you use Sunrise XP which is also freeware.
Happy reading! Any other favorite medical ebooks sites to share?
I particularly like the eMedicine series which have well written reviews. The eMedicine terms of use allows you to download articles to your PDA for your personal use.
Just surf over to the eMedicine TOC and select the topic of your choice. In my case I selected eMedicine Hematology
My preferred reader is iSilo so I'll use this an example.
You can use iSiloX to fetch the links (set it to link depth 1 and restrict it to the emedicine.com domain) .
The end product is quite readable on the Palm but I had to set iSilo to "no tables" to avoid having to scroll left and right when reading the articles.
Here is a composite view of several screenshots:
Another popular reader is Plucker. This one is free and works just as well as iSilo. If you want an application to fetch the pages and convert it to Plucker format, I would recommend you use Sunrise XP which is also freeware.
Happy reading! Any other favorite medical ebooks sites to share?
Monday, February 06, 2006
Convergence - the way forward?
I mean convergence as far as PDA Medical software is concerned. As for PDA hardware, we are already seeing convergence in PDAphones or smartphones being more popular than pure PDAs nowadays.
I am seeing a trend whereby publishers are packaging diagnostic/clinical information/drug information software as integrated bundles for PDAs. Is this a good thing? Yes I think so as it would appeal to doctors who may not have an idea where to begin to get the software on an individual basis. It's also a good thing as generally speaking integrated software would work better together rather than individual standalone applications. Something like your Hifi system I guess. Bundles are also generally cheaper than purchasing the apps individually.
On the other hand, you are tied down to an individual publisher and hence that publisher's strengths and weaknesses. You don't get to mix your own.
On a related note, there's yet another survey by Skyscape which has found (surprise, surprise) that Mobile Handheld Technology Empowers Medical Providers to Deliver Better and More Efficient Care While Reducing Errors:
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – Feb. 6, 2006 – Physicians and others who use PDAs, Smartphones, and related medical decision support tools say they’re providing better and more efficient patient care as a result, according to a new survey of 2,800 medical professionals conducted by Skyscape, Inc.
In the research, a majority of medical professionals surveyed cited mobile handheld technology and related software titles and tools as “critical” to their daily practice – and reported that the solutions enabled them to reduce potential medical errors, provide greater medical care, and assist more patients, according to John Ryder, Vice President, of Skyscape, Inc.
An overwhelming 84 percent of the medical professionals surveyed reported that their personal use of PDAs and medical-related reference titles and decision software resulted in a decrease of potential medical errors, he said.
Even more, 88 percent, said they increased efficiencies in their practice through the use of the technology, with 72 percent reporting being able to provide more care in less time.
PDAs, however, are no longer just a tool of the individual physician, Ryder noted. Hospitals and educational institutions are deploying or otherwise supporting the use of handheld decision support software by doctors as well as nurses, medical students and instructors.
While 50% of US physicians are already using handheld devices, usage should continue to grow as new applications are customized to the technology, he said. As a tool in their daily practice, 70% of medical professionals in the Skyscape survey called their use of PDAs either “Important or “Critical.”
“Meanwhile, the 800-pound gorilla in the equation is the coming ‘convergence’ of a variety of currently stand-alone e-applications,” Ryder said.
In the Skyscape survey, medical professionals cited the access of drug, clinical, and drug interaction references, along with organizational information such as treatment guidelines, as their current, chief PDA-based applications.
“Expect the growth in handheld technology to be driven by a growing trend in evidence-based medicine, daily (if not hourly) updates in reference databases, and increased wireless accessibility,” Ryder said. “Combine this on-going ‘information barrage’ with the coming convergence of EMR (e-medical records) and e-prescribing on handheld devices – and we’ll see more medical professionals using PDAs more often and for more uses.”
“But more importantly, patients are welcoming the increased speed and accuracy of medical care – as well as the greater attention and overall confidence by their caregivers that handheld technology is helping to provide at the point-of-care,” Ryder said. “The bottom line is that continuing evolution of mobile handheld technology and decision support tools is resulting in better medicine.”
I am seeing a trend whereby publishers are packaging diagnostic/clinical information/drug information software as integrated bundles for PDAs. Is this a good thing? Yes I think so as it would appeal to doctors who may not have an idea where to begin to get the software on an individual basis. It's also a good thing as generally speaking integrated software would work better together rather than individual standalone applications. Something like your Hifi system I guess. Bundles are also generally cheaper than purchasing the apps individually.
On the other hand, you are tied down to an individual publisher and hence that publisher's strengths and weaknesses. You don't get to mix your own.
On a related note, there's yet another survey by Skyscape which has found (surprise, surprise) that Mobile Handheld Technology Empowers Medical Providers to Deliver Better and More Efficient Care While Reducing Errors:
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – Feb. 6, 2006 – Physicians and others who use PDAs, Smartphones, and related medical decision support tools say they’re providing better and more efficient patient care as a result, according to a new survey of 2,800 medical professionals conducted by Skyscape, Inc.
In the research, a majority of medical professionals surveyed cited mobile handheld technology and related software titles and tools as “critical” to their daily practice – and reported that the solutions enabled them to reduce potential medical errors, provide greater medical care, and assist more patients, according to John Ryder, Vice President, of Skyscape, Inc.
An overwhelming 84 percent of the medical professionals surveyed reported that their personal use of PDAs and medical-related reference titles and decision software resulted in a decrease of potential medical errors, he said.
Even more, 88 percent, said they increased efficiencies in their practice through the use of the technology, with 72 percent reporting being able to provide more care in less time.
PDAs, however, are no longer just a tool of the individual physician, Ryder noted. Hospitals and educational institutions are deploying or otherwise supporting the use of handheld decision support software by doctors as well as nurses, medical students and instructors.
While 50% of US physicians are already using handheld devices, usage should continue to grow as new applications are customized to the technology, he said. As a tool in their daily practice, 70% of medical professionals in the Skyscape survey called their use of PDAs either “Important or “Critical.”
“Meanwhile, the 800-pound gorilla in the equation is the coming ‘convergence’ of a variety of currently stand-alone e-applications,” Ryder said.
In the Skyscape survey, medical professionals cited the access of drug, clinical, and drug interaction references, along with organizational information such as treatment guidelines, as their current, chief PDA-based applications.
“Expect the growth in handheld technology to be driven by a growing trend in evidence-based medicine, daily (if not hourly) updates in reference databases, and increased wireless accessibility,” Ryder said. “Combine this on-going ‘information barrage’ with the coming convergence of EMR (e-medical records) and e-prescribing on handheld devices – and we’ll see more medical professionals using PDAs more often and for more uses.”
“But more importantly, patients are welcoming the increased speed and accuracy of medical care – as well as the greater attention and overall confidence by their caregivers that handheld technology is helping to provide at the point-of-care,” Ryder said. “The bottom line is that continuing evolution of mobile handheld technology and decision support tools is resulting in better medicine.”
Saturday, February 04, 2006
B.N.F. revisited (part two)
The B.N.F. (bnf.org) is a free (but registration required) site for doctors to access drug information. It is widely used in the UK and some other countries. It is somewhat short on some drug info like mechanism of action but it has the essentials and the preamble in each drug section is quite useful.
Anyway continuing with the B.N.F. story.... I believe there have been some who have "cached" the B.N.F. and converted the pages into iSilo format for "offline" viewing. Is this acceptable? I don't think the B.N.F. folks would agree to it.
The B.N.F. website, although stating that "Users may view, use, reproduce or store copies of Publishers’ Material without seeking permission provided it is for non-commercial personal or professional use; or it is for non-commercial research, private study or in a non-commercial document with limited circulation", also states that "downloading a substantial amount of the Publishers’ Material onto any digital device for ‘off-line’ use is not within the Permitted Purposes".
So folks, no, it is not within the B.N.F.'s terms of use to create an iSilo document - pity. Anyway the B.N.F. has put in place an electronic mechanism to prevent wholesale downloading of their website so it would be difficult to do this.
What if this were possible? I don't really know so don't ask me how, what, where etc.
The following is just a hypothetical example of what the B.N.F. would look like if it were possible:
The hypothetical size of such an iSilo document is said to be about 8.7MB.
Would such an iSilo document be useful it were available? Yes, it would help those with PalmPDAs without any wireless or Wifi capabilities.
I believe however accessing the B.N.F. website directly from a wireless capable PDA (as mentioned in B.N.F. revisited (part one) ) is still the better option because there is the Search function which works very well. The search field will also take multiple drugs for checking drug interaction. A static B.N.F. isilo document will not permit such features. It is also cumbersome to use iSilo's search mechanism for such a large document.
Addendum:
BM has pointed out that you can actually purchase the BNF for PDA - this is goood news if you really want a full fledged PDA version (since the hypothetical example above doesn't really exist). You can get it from http://www.pharmpress.com/bnfpda
Anyway continuing with the B.N.F. story.... I believe there have been some who have "cached" the B.N.F. and converted the pages into iSilo format for "offline" viewing. Is this acceptable? I don't think the B.N.F. folks would agree to it.
The B.N.F. website, although stating that "Users may view, use, reproduce or store copies of Publishers’ Material without seeking permission provided it is for non-commercial personal or professional use; or it is for non-commercial research, private study or in a non-commercial document with limited circulation", also states that "downloading a substantial amount of the Publishers’ Material onto any digital device for ‘off-line’ use is not within the Permitted Purposes".
So folks, no, it is not within the B.N.F.'s terms of use to create an iSilo document - pity. Anyway the B.N.F. has put in place an electronic mechanism to prevent wholesale downloading of their website so it would be difficult to do this.
What if this were possible? I don't really know so don't ask me how, what, where etc.
The following is just a hypothetical example of what the B.N.F. would look like if it were possible:
The hypothetical size of such an iSilo document is said to be about 8.7MB.
Would such an iSilo document be useful it were available? Yes, it would help those with PalmPDAs without any wireless or Wifi capabilities.
I believe however accessing the B.N.F. website directly from a wireless capable PDA (as mentioned in B.N.F. revisited (part one) ) is still the better option because there is the Search function which works very well. The search field will also take multiple drugs for checking drug interaction. A static B.N.F. isilo document will not permit such features. It is also cumbersome to use iSilo's search mechanism for such a large document.
Addendum:
BM has pointed out that you can actually purchase the BNF for PDA - this is goood news if you really want a full fledged PDA version (since the hypothetical example above doesn't really exist). You can get it from http://www.pharmpress.com/bnfpda
Cochrane reviews in your Palm - for free
I did mention back in December 2005 that you can get a special PDA version of the Cochrane database of systematic reviews. I notice that Medgadget has mentioned this again in Cochrane Reviews - Evidence-Based Medicine At the Bedside. While convenient, I realise that the price is not exactly a bargain - you have to purchase each topic individually!
Well, there is a free alternative.
1) Access the Cochrane Library with your browser
2) Use the Search function in the upper right of the page to locate the paper you want
3) Save a PDF copy
4) Use PalmPDF to read it in your Palm
Simple isn't it?
Digg Story
Well, there is a free alternative.
1) Access the Cochrane Library with your browser
2) Use the Search function in the upper right of the page to locate the paper you want
3) Save a PDF copy
4) Use PalmPDF to read it in your Palm
Simple isn't it?
Digg Story
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Doctors' Gadgets Forum
The Doctors' Gadgets Forum has relocated and is accessible from this URL:
http://www.doctorsgadgets.com/forum
The link to the forum from The Palmdoc Chronicles in the left hand panel has been updated accrodingly.
Thanks to Chris Paton for the info.
http://www.doctorsgadgets.com/forum
The link to the forum from The Palmdoc Chronicles in the left hand panel has been updated accrodingly.
Thanks to Chris Paton for the info.
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Emergency Manual of Medicine
Unbound Medicine announces the release of Emergency Manual of Medicine, 6th Edition for PDAs.
Newly updated for PDA, the manual delivers patient presentations, diagnoses, treatment strategies, indications for hospital admission, and appropriate follow-up--all organized for rapid reference.
Newly updated for PDA, the manual delivers patient presentations, diagnoses, treatment strategies, indications for hospital admission, and appropriate follow-up--all organized for rapid reference.
Epocrates SxDx
This was spotted in the beginning of January 2006 but now Epocrates is officially announcing Epocrates SxDx
What is Epocrates SxDx?
Epocrates SxDx integrates the concise Epocrates Dx™ disease reference with the NEW Epocrates Sx™ symptom assessment tool, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital's Laboratory of Computer Science.
The Epocrates Sx tool (accessed via the Sx tab) enables you to enter patient symptoms and findings to generate an index of the most relevant common and rare diagnoses in Epocrates Dx.
Epocrates Sx employs a unique diagnosis rating algorithm based on many factors, including:
* Frequency of findings in a particular disease
* Prevalence of findings/ disease in the US population
* Combination of symptoms
* Clinical filters, e.g., gender, age
The more symptoms and patient information you enter, the more relevant your results will be.
In celebration of this launch, you can save 25% through February 13!
What is Epocrates SxDx?
Epocrates SxDx integrates the concise Epocrates Dx™ disease reference with the NEW Epocrates Sx™ symptom assessment tool, developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital's Laboratory of Computer Science.
The Epocrates Sx tool (accessed via the Sx tab) enables you to enter patient symptoms and findings to generate an index of the most relevant common and rare diagnoses in Epocrates Dx.
Epocrates Sx employs a unique diagnosis rating algorithm based on many factors, including:
* Frequency of findings in a particular disease
* Prevalence of findings/ disease in the US population
* Combination of symptoms
* Clinical filters, e.g., gender, age
The more symptoms and patient information you enter, the more relevant your results will be.
In celebration of this launch, you can save 25% through February 13!
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Happy birthday Palm!
Ten years ago today, on January 28, 1996, Jeff Hawkins & Ed Colligan introduced the first PalmOS handheld - the Palm Pilot - to the world at Demo '96 at the Indian Wells Resort in southern California. (via Palmaddicts)
My first Palm PDA was the PalmPilot Professional. It's now dead (RIP) and has a resting place in cyberspace here. What was your first PDA?
My first Palm PDA was the PalmPilot Professional. It's now dead (RIP) and has a resting place in cyberspace here. What was your first PDA?
Saturday, January 28, 2006
Anesthesia Central
Anesthesia Central -- Mobility for the Gases (cute title!) is a good write-up of Unbound Medicine's Anesthesia Central
Sounds like an excellent PDA resource for Anesthetists.
Sounds like an excellent PDA resource for Anesthetists.
Friday, January 27, 2006
B.N.F. revisited (part one)
Well, thought I'd mention the venerable B.N.F. (http://bnfDOTorg) again, one of the free comprehensive drug guides available online to healthcare professionals.
I have previously mentioned how to get the B.N.F. in your Palm PDA but the method (using iSiloX) does not work anymore.
The simplest way to get the B.N.F. in your Palm PDA is to access it wirelessly! You could do that if you have a Wifi enabled Palm PDA or via your Smartphone's GPRS.
I tried it out with my Treo650 and can report that the Treo's Blazer browser is compatible with the site and the formatting (using noframes) is OK.
The big advantage about accessing the B.N.F. online is that you can access the Search facility. This is more convenient than "drilling down" the menus.
Testing out a search for "Diflucan"
Search successful! 5 results obtained.
You could also still access the information using the Contents menu and click on the section you want.
Disadvantages? Well you need wireless access. If you are accessing it via GPRS, then it could get expensive unless you have an unlimited data plan. If the B.N.F. could come out with a mobile friendly version, that would help a lot, but somehow I think they won't :P As long as this is not available, then I think some people would still try to find ways to "cache" the B.N.F. for "offline" viewing.
Is this still doable?
Watch out for part two!
I have previously mentioned how to get the B.N.F. in your Palm PDA but the method (using iSiloX) does not work anymore.
The simplest way to get the B.N.F. in your Palm PDA is to access it wirelessly! You could do that if you have a Wifi enabled Palm PDA or via your Smartphone's GPRS.
I tried it out with my Treo650 and can report that the Treo's Blazer browser is compatible with the site and the formatting (using noframes) is OK.
The big advantage about accessing the B.N.F. online is that you can access the Search facility. This is more convenient than "drilling down" the menus.
Testing out a search for "Diflucan"
Search successful! 5 results obtained.
You could also still access the information using the Contents menu and click on the section you want.
Disadvantages? Well you need wireless access. If you are accessing it via GPRS, then it could get expensive unless you have an unlimited data plan. If the B.N.F. could come out with a mobile friendly version, that would help a lot, but somehow I think they won't :P As long as this is not available, then I think some people would still try to find ways to "cache" the B.N.F. for "offline" viewing.
Is this still doable?
Watch out for part two!
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Free Medical Books
In case you weren't aware, I thought I'd highlight FreeBooks4Doctors which has a large listing of free medical texts. This is a great resource for doctors and medical students.
I particularly like the eMedicine articles for their comprehensive reviews. You could of course put your PDA to good use and keep useful references in your Palm. My preferred reader is iSilo and iSiloX is the free converter which will convert web pages to iSilo format.
I particularly like the eMedicine articles for their comprehensive reviews. You could of course put your PDA to good use and keep useful references in your Palm. My preferred reader is iSilo and iSiloX is the free converter which will convert web pages to iSilo format.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, NEW 28th Edition
Press release:
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 23, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, NEW 28th Edition” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Stedman’s Medical Dictionary” offers quick access to thousands of medical terms, drug names, eponyms, procedures and protocols. Thoroughly reviewed and updated, the 28th edition contains more than 107,000 total terms.
“‘Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, NEW 28th Edition' is an essential resource for healthcare practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1447.
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 23, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, NEW 28th Edition” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Stedman’s Medical Dictionary” offers quick access to thousands of medical terms, drug names, eponyms, procedures and protocols. Thoroughly reviewed and updated, the 28th edition contains more than 107,000 total terms.
“‘Stedman’s Medical Dictionary, NEW 28th Edition' is an essential resource for healthcare practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1447.
Sunday, January 22, 2006
Treo Revival
I have encountered some colleagues who get frustrated with their handhelds. People, like your cars, you gotta perform some maintenance.
One of the Palmdoc Chornicle's hibernating co-bloggers has just experienced a Treo Revival. If you have been experiencing crashes and resets on your device, perhaps it's time to clean out the cupboard. Backup your vital data, sync with the Desktop, doc a hard reset and re-install the 3rd party apps one by one (make sure your Backup directory is moved elsewhere otherwise all (or most of) your old 3rd party software gets synced back in. In the case of the Treo650, Palm has just released the lates 1.20 Firmware update for Unlocked GSM models - this update is terrific and seems to have solved most if not all of the niggling glitches in the Treo650, making it a terrific smartphone!
One of the Palmdoc Chornicle's hibernating co-bloggers has just experienced a Treo Revival. If you have been experiencing crashes and resets on your device, perhaps it's time to clean out the cupboard. Backup your vital data, sync with the Desktop, doc a hard reset and re-install the 3rd party apps one by one (make sure your Backup directory is moved elsewhere otherwise all (or most of) your old 3rd party software gets synced back in. In the case of the Treo650, Palm has just released the lates 1.20 Firmware update for Unlocked GSM models - this update is terrific and seems to have solved most if not all of the niggling glitches in the Treo650, making it a terrific smartphone!
Friday, January 20, 2006
Free antibiotic guide
Emergency Medicine Doc reminds us that the John Hopkin's Antibiotic guide is available free for PalmOS (no PPC versions I'm afraid WM fans) and via the Web.
Another comprehensive Infectious disease/antibiotic guide for PalmOS and WM is the venerable Sanford Guide.
Another comprehensive Infectious disease/antibiotic guide for PalmOS and WM is the venerable Sanford Guide.
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Google Mobilizer
If you use a handheld or smartphone for web browsing, you may have dealt with pages that just don't render properly, no matter which PDA browser you use. Google Mobilizer - http://www.google.com/gwt/n - as reported by Geek.com, offers another way to view pages.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Lung Doctor 1.0.0
IslandCoders are at it again with Lung Doctor 1.0.0
| Lung Doctor is a complete guide to the management of the nine most common lung problems afflicting man today. Discussions concerning the disease description, orders, diagnosis and therapeutics are presented in a most concise and comprehensive manner. Designed for physicians and patients, Lung Doctor acts as a quick reference to patient management. It covers Bronchial Asthma, COPD, Pulmonary Tuberculosis, Pulmonary Embolism, Hemoptysis, Pleural Effusion & Thoracentesis, Anaphylaxis, Pneumothorax and Pneumonia. |
PalmPDF
PalmPDF has now been released as version 1.0
I have been using it since in beta right up to 1.0 RC2 and can say that it is pretty stable and rendering reasonably fast on my Treo 650.
Just the other day I was asking some Haemonc colleagues if they have been reading their ASH Educational book. They said yes, and relied on the lugging around that book. I then showed them the 21st century way - read the PDFs in your Palm! This way you could be reading your articles anywhere - in the hospital cafetaria or even in the toilet and you don't have to carry heavy books with you.
PalmPDF is a great piece of freeware - worthy of donations to support the author.
This screen shot of one of the ASH Educational articles shows how clear and legible it is
Scrolling around the document is a breeze - either use your Dpad controls or the stylus. Choose a document size (for me its usually 100 - 125%) which suits you (and your eyes) and you are good to go. highly recommended!
I have been using it since in beta right up to 1.0 RC2 and can say that it is pretty stable and rendering reasonably fast on my Treo 650.
Just the other day I was asking some Haemonc colleagues if they have been reading their ASH Educational book. They said yes, and relied on the lugging around that book. I then showed them the 21st century way - read the PDFs in your Palm! This way you could be reading your articles anywhere - in the hospital cafetaria or even in the toilet and you don't have to carry heavy books with you.
PalmPDF is a great piece of freeware - worthy of donations to support the author.
This screen shot of one of the ASH Educational articles shows how clear and legible it is
Scrolling around the document is a breeze - either use your Dpad controls or the stylus. Choose a document size (for me its usually 100 - 125%) which suits you (and your eyes) and you are good to go. highly recommended!
MobileDDxT Differential Diagnosis Tool
Press Release:
Skyscape Introduces “MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 17, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” enables medical practitioners to explore topics by organ system, symptoms, diseases only, or search across all topics. With over 1,000 medicine and surgery differential diagnoses included, this is the most trusted Current Lange series.
“‘MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by The McGraw Hill Companies, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1456.
Skyscape Introduces “MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 17, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool” enables medical practitioners to explore topics by organ system, symptoms, diseases only, or search across all topics. With over 1,000 medicine and surgery differential diagnoses included, this is the most trusted Current Lange series.
“‘MobileDDx™ Differential Diagnosis Tool’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by The McGraw Hill Companies, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1456.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
MD MELD v1.0
MD MELD v1.0 is a new free app you can download from freewarepalm.com
| Description: This program easily calculates the new standard for liver transplantation-- The MELD score |
New co-bloggers
You might have noticed the last two posts in The Palmdoc Chronicles are from new co-bloggers.
Welcome aboard David Gurney and Mari Stoddard!
I think having additional bloggers makes any particular blog more interesting since you can have more points of view as well as different posting styles.
For instance, I like Palmaddicts which gives terrific up-to-date Palm related news (though sometimes i fancy the updates are so frequent it's difficult to catch up!) and thats because there are many contributors. So if there are any others who wish to co-blog on The Palmdoc Chronicles, please email me. I think I shall try to awaken the other "sleeping" co-bloggers from hibernation :)
Welcome aboard David Gurney and Mari Stoddard!
I think having additional bloggers makes any particular blog more interesting since you can have more points of view as well as different posting styles.
For instance, I like Palmaddicts which gives terrific up-to-date Palm related news (though sometimes i fancy the updates are so frequent it's difficult to catch up!) and thats because there are many contributors. So if there are any others who wish to co-blog on The Palmdoc Chronicles, please email me. I think I shall try to awaken the other "sleeping" co-bloggers from hibernation :)
Fall 2005 Articles
Briggs B. It's Palm over Windows, within limits. Health Data Manag. 2005 Sep;13(9):62, 64. [PDA, Palm]
Cole E et al. A comparative study of mobile electronic data entry systems for clinical trials data collection. Int J Med Inform. 2005 Dec 27: ePub. [PDA - Pocket PC, Tablet PC, digitizer Tablet/PDA Hybrid (DTP Hybrid), and digital pen (d-pen)]
Degia A et al. Development of a portable psychometric testing device for use in the field: an alcohol investigation. Percept Mot Skills. 2005 Oct;101(2):383-92. [small ruggedised handheld computer]
Gururajan R et al. Challenges for implementing wireless hand-held technology in health care: views from selected Queensland nurses. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11 Suppl 2:37-8. [handheld]
Kim DK et al. Instant wireless transmission of radiological images using a personal digital assistant phone for emergency teleconsultation. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11 Suppl 2:58-61. [PDA, phone, Pocket PC]
Moulton S et al. A mobile trauma database with charge capture. J Trauma. 2005 Nov;59(5):1042-7. [PDA, Pocket PC]
Schuerenberg BK. PDA software keeps plugging along. Health Data Manag. 2005 Sep;13(9):66, 68. [PDA]
Cole E et al. A comparative study of mobile electronic data entry systems for clinical trials data collection. Int J Med Inform. 2005 Dec 27: ePub. [PDA - Pocket PC, Tablet PC, digitizer Tablet/PDA Hybrid (DTP Hybrid), and digital pen (d-pen)]
Degia A et al. Development of a portable psychometric testing device for use in the field: an alcohol investigation. Percept Mot Skills. 2005 Oct;101(2):383-92. [small ruggedised handheld computer]
Gururajan R et al. Challenges for implementing wireless hand-held technology in health care: views from selected Queensland nurses. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11 Suppl 2:37-8. [handheld]
Kim DK et al. Instant wireless transmission of radiological images using a personal digital assistant phone for emergency teleconsultation. J Telemed Telecare. 2005;11 Suppl 2:58-61. [PDA, phone, Pocket PC]
Moulton S et al. A mobile trauma database with charge capture. J Trauma. 2005 Nov;59(5):1042-7. [PDA, Pocket PC]
Schuerenberg BK. PDA software keeps plugging along. Health Data Manag. 2005 Sep;13(9):66, 68. [PDA]
Monday, January 16, 2006
Welcome back, Kent!
After a very very brief retirement, Kent Willyard aka the Ectopic Brain, is back in business! An email from him says that he will get others to co-blog.
Good idea!
Any PDA enthusiast, especially those in the medical/healthcare profession, who wants to co-blog on The Palmdoc Chronicles is most welcome to send me an email and I'll send you details! I had a few other co-bloggers but looks like they have gone into long term hibernation....
Good idea!
Any PDA enthusiast, especially those in the medical/healthcare profession, who wants to co-blog on The Palmdoc Chronicles is most welcome to send me an email and I'll send you details! I had a few other co-bloggers but looks like they have gone into long term hibernation....
Friday, January 13, 2006
Google homepage, to go
You can now have your own personalized Google home page on your PDA/Smartphone! Great news for mobile docs.
from the Official Google Blog via Digg
Visit Google Mobile
from the Official Google Blog via Digg
| Google just created a PERSONALIZED HOMEPAGE for mobile phones just like (google.com/ig). Just go to google.com/xhtml on your cell phone and hit 'Personalized Home' and get RSS feeds, weather, stock quotes, news and more! |
Visit Google Mobile
Synching drug delivery with your Palm handheld
Businessweek reports
via MobileRead, PalmAddicts
Cool stuff but wait, doesn't this:
look like the old Handspring Visor?
Yes indeed it is. So the Visors live on! Apparently it is because Medtronic has the license obtained from Handspring before they were bought over by Palm in 2003 (gee, was that only 3 years ago?) to "modify Handspring PDAs and manufacture, rebrand, and market them as Medtronic PTMs".
| Health-device giant Medtronic known for its pioneering pacemakers and insulin pumps for diabetics recently released a device in the U.S. called the Personal Therapy Manager (PTM), a retooled version of a Palm handheld. A first for the market, it's a patient-controlled device with a screen interface that can sync with the company's programmable implanted pumps to deliver medicine, via catheter, to the fluid near the spinal cord -- a process known as intrathecal drug delivery. |
via MobileRead, PalmAddicts
Cool stuff but wait, doesn't this:
look like the old Handspring Visor?
Yes indeed it is. So the Visors live on! Apparently it is because Medtronic has the license obtained from Handspring before they were bought over by Palm in 2003 (gee, was that only 3 years ago?) to "modify Handspring PDAs and manufacture, rebrand, and market them as Medtronic PTMs".
Thursday, January 12, 2006
ICUmath
ICUmath has been updated - excellent freeware
 Medical calculator for adult ICU that uses 85 medical equations, including pulmonary, cardiology, BNP CHF nomogram, pharmacokinetic dosing, renal, electrolyte, chemistry, nutrition, TPN, perioperative risk, biostatistics, acls, apache II, unit conversions, rules of thumb, and an RPN calculator with TVM.Update Description: - Added a drug buildup program, MDRD eGFR, a/A pO2 - Improved accuracy of CCR when creatinine changes |
Adios Kent!
Kent Willyard who maintains the Ectopic brain site has announced his reirement from the medical PDA blogging scene. Over the years Kent has contributed a lot to the medical PDA community and we shall miss his online presence.
Here's wishing you all the best Kent!
Here's wishing you all the best Kent!
Epocrates Collaborates with MGH to Offer Unique Decision Support Tool
Brighthand reports that Epocrates Collaborates with Massachusetts General Hospital to Offer Unique Decision Support Tool
via MedPDAnet
Yes I agree with Leo that the news hasn't even appeared on Epocrates' website yet. It would be a welcome addition to Diagnostic tools available for clinicians like Diagnosaurus which is free. I am mulling over DiagnosisPro but I was put off by the fact that they still have not released a PalmOS version. I'll probably get it anyway since the latter has an offer which bundles the Windows and PPC version in one with free 1 year online access. If I do that will make it 3 apps that I run on my Dell Axim now (the other two being UpToDate and Skype)
via MedPDAnet
Yes I agree with Leo that the news hasn't even appeared on Epocrates' website yet. It would be a welcome addition to Diagnostic tools available for clinicians like Diagnosaurus which is free. I am mulling over DiagnosisPro but I was put off by the fact that they still have not released a PalmOS version. I'll probably get it anyway since the latter has an offer which bundles the Windows and PPC version in one with free 1 year online access. If I do that will make it 3 apps that I run on my Dell Axim now (the other two being UpToDate and Skype)
PDA's and ADHD
You might be interested to read this post by a user with ADHD in PDA 24/7.
Yes, a PDA may help to some extent in ADHD I agree.
Even if you don't have ADHD, I find a PDA invaluable as an aide memoire!
Yes, a PDA may help to some extent in ADHD I agree.
Even if you don't have ADHD, I find a PDA invaluable as an aide memoire!
Mobilizing the Digital Doctor's Office
Palm, GE Healthcare, and PatientKeeper are sponsoring a Webinar (web seminar) to share how today's leading healthcare organizations are benefiting from advanced mobile solutions for physicians.
In a one-hour education session, industry experts will share:
* An in-depth view of GE Healthcare’s latest offering: GE Centricity® PO Mobile™ (Powered by PatientKeeper)
* Customer success stories
* A demonstration of typical physician usage scenarios
To register, click here
In a one-hour education session, industry experts will share:
* An in-depth view of GE Healthcare’s latest offering: GE Centricity® PO Mobile™ (Powered by PatientKeeper)
* Customer success stories
* A demonstration of typical physician usage scenarios
To register, click here
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Skyscape press releases
A couple of new Skyscape announcements:
Skyscape Announces Physician-Referral Discount Program for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – Jan. 10, 2006 –To assist physicians that are trying to help patients with their New Year's resolutions to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle, Skyscape Inc. has announced a special 20% referral discount program for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand.
The South Beach Diet™ OnHand is a simple-to-use mobile solution that provides instant, anywhere access to exclusive tools, recipes, meal plans, and lifestyle tips via handheld mobile devices such as Palm and Pocket PC-powered handheld computers, PDAs, and smart phones.
Developed by Skyscape, Inc., The South Beach Diet™ OnHand is the perfect mobile complement to the best-selling South Beach Diet™ book series created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D., preventative cardiologist and inventor of the Agatston Score.
With two-thirds of U.S. adults and nearly one-third of children overweight, obesity-related cancer, diabetes and heart disease contributes to over 100,000 deaths a year. According to Peter Vash, M.D., M.P.H., of UCLA's Center for Health Sciences, "The treatment of obesity represents a new category of care. The patient doesn't have pneumonia, so I can't give them penicillin. The patient doesn't have a tumor, so I can't cut it out. But what I have to do is engage the patient in a new kind of dialogue to educate them - encourage them, lead them, and motivate them."
The Skyscape program offers physician-referred patients a special 20% discount off the $19.95 annual subscription for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand. To refer patients, physicians need only access the web page at: http://www.skyscapeonhand.com/drreferral.
Skyscape Introduces “Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 10, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” provides a fast, reliable look-up reference on all chest diseases - for junior doctors, trainee specialists in respiratory medicine, and other health professionals.
“‘Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Oxford University Press, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1460.
Skyscape Announces Physician-Referral Discount Program for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – Jan. 10, 2006 –To assist physicians that are trying to help patients with their New Year's resolutions to lose weight and adopt a healthier lifestyle, Skyscape Inc. has announced a special 20% referral discount program for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand.
The South Beach Diet™ OnHand is a simple-to-use mobile solution that provides instant, anywhere access to exclusive tools, recipes, meal plans, and lifestyle tips via handheld mobile devices such as Palm and Pocket PC-powered handheld computers, PDAs, and smart phones.
Developed by Skyscape, Inc., The South Beach Diet™ OnHand is the perfect mobile complement to the best-selling South Beach Diet™ book series created by Dr. Arthur Agatston, M.D., preventative cardiologist and inventor of the Agatston Score.
With two-thirds of U.S. adults and nearly one-third of children overweight, obesity-related cancer, diabetes and heart disease contributes to over 100,000 deaths a year. According to Peter Vash, M.D., M.P.H., of UCLA's Center for Health Sciences, "The treatment of obesity represents a new category of care. The patient doesn't have pneumonia, so I can't give them penicillin. The patient doesn't have a tumor, so I can't cut it out. But what I have to do is engage the patient in a new kind of dialogue to educate them - encourage them, lead them, and motivate them."
The Skyscape program offers physician-referred patients a special 20% discount off the $19.95 annual subscription for The South Beach Diet™ OnHand. To refer patients, physicians need only access the web page at: http://www.skyscapeonhand.com/drreferral.
Skyscape Introduces “Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 10, 2006 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine” provides a fast, reliable look-up reference on all chest diseases - for junior doctors, trainee specialists in respiratory medicine, and other health professionals.
“‘Oxford Handbook of Respiratory Medicine’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Oxford University Press, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1460.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
2005 Medical Weblog Awards
Oooh I've discovered that this blog is in the list of nominees in the medGadget 2005 Medical Weblog Awards in the Medical Technologies/Informatics Category.
No, I'm not asking you to vote for me ;) but this is a good list and I was not aware of some of the other sites!
No, I'm not asking you to vote for me ;) but this is a good list and I was not aware of some of the other sites!
Sunday, January 08, 2006
IPDA-II
Spotted IPDA-II (Initial Psychological Disorder Analysis) v3.0 in Freewarepalm.com
.gif) IPDA-II is a versatile instrument for evaluating individuals suspected of having a psychological disorder. It enables mental health professionals to rapidly & easily determine an initial diagnoses of an Axis-I or Axis-II disorders via answering simple guided "Yes"/"No" questions leading to a result. IPDA-II saves and displays client's histories, initial diagnosis, demographics, medications & progress notes all at your finger tips. |
Saturday, January 07, 2006
Oncowiki upate II
I have registered a new domain for Oncowiki:
http://oncowiki.info
That should make it easy for all to remember!
http://oncowiki.info
That should make it easy for all to remember!
Onco Wiki update
The OncoWiki project continues to develop. I have emailed several people and they all have thought it was a good idea! However the success of the project will depend on actual participants and contributors. On my part I am adding pages a bit at a time - whenever I am free.
Some have expressed concern about litigation - I think an adequate disclaimer should do and the system allows contributors to post using an "ID" which need not be their real names.
I have added a logo to the main page
I have also started a discussion thread in the MMR forums so that users/potential users can provide feedback.
The end product will hopefully be a free comprehensive online resource of oncology/chemotherapy regimens. I will export the data into iSilo ebook format and also Handbase database (once the data is comprehensive enough) so that users can carry the information in their PDAs.
Please help spread the word about the OncoWiki project and feel free to link the logo image in your website.
Does anyone know of any other medical Wiki initiatives?
Some have expressed concern about litigation - I think an adequate disclaimer should do and the system allows contributors to post using an "ID" which need not be their real names.
I have added a logo to the main page
I have also started a discussion thread in the MMR forums so that users/potential users can provide feedback.
The end product will hopefully be a free comprehensive online resource of oncology/chemotherapy regimens. I will export the data into iSilo ebook format and also Handbase database (once the data is comprehensive enough) so that users can carry the information in their PDAs.
Please help spread the word about the OncoWiki project and feel free to link the logo image in your website.
Does anyone know of any other medical Wiki initiatives?
The whole World in your hands
Via Spinosum in the MMR Forums:
They've Got the Whole World in Their Hands: PDAs in Medicine
is an interesting read.
Some colleagues have expressed concern that overdependence on PDAs will lead to "mental decay". I think not. I think overall, having a PDA will encourage greater use of evidence based medicine, increase the quality of your decision at the bedside or point-of-care and lessen chances of medical errors.
They've Got the Whole World in Their Hands: PDAs in Medicine
is an interesting read.
Some colleagues have expressed concern that overdependence on PDAs will lead to "mental decay". I think not. I think overall, having a PDA will encourage greater use of evidence based medicine, increase the quality of your decision at the bedside or point-of-care and lessen chances of medical errors.
Friday, January 06, 2006
Gadget doctors
Jennifer Chappell writes in Palmaddicts of her experience with Another Palm Doctor:
Doctors who are gadget freaks. Now that's familiar ;)
As for me, I'm a mainly-one-gadget-at-a-time person. While I have a Dell Axim x50v, I use my Treo650 for most things, especially contact management. The memory may be somewhat lacking but that can be overcome by software such as Powerrun which moves applications and data to the SD card.
The Treo650 is a joy to use and in fact the Treo fever is spreading in my hospital where lately another 3 colleagues have purchased Treo650s after seeing mine and brief demo's on my part.
I look forward to new Treo models in 2006 - but not the Windows powered one. I leave that to corporate purchasing people obsessed with the mantra "Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft". Treo700w reviews are already out, and you might be interested in reading articles like A Marriage Not Made in Heaven, TreoCentral's review, Palm Treo 700W review roundup: Mossberg says it "doesn't beat 650"
So are you a Gadget doctor? What's your new purchase for 2006?
| We were sitting in the waiting area and I had one of my PDAs playing with it, when the nurse came out to get my Mother. The nurse asked if I'd like to go back with my Mother and of course I said that I would. The nurse noticed my PDA and said, "Oh my, you'd better hide that gadget because if Dr. Haggerty sees it, he'll want to play with it and he'll never get around to talking to your Mother." I thought she was kidding but she wasn't! She said that Dr. Haggerty is gadget crazy and he would want to play with my PDA and discuss PDAs, so I had to put my PDA in my gadget bag. After my Mother had talked to him and we were about to leave, I asked Dr. Haggerty what kind of PDAs he has. He said that he has a Treo 650 and a LifeDrive! He said that he likes his Treo but that he's aggravated with the holster he uses because his Treo doesn't fit well in it and wants to fall out. I didn't quite understand that but I told him that he should look into a different case since there are many nice ones out there. He also said that he's not very happy with the memory on the Treo 650 but that the phone does what it's supposed to do and overall, he's happy with the phone. He said that he loves his LifeDrive but that he can't get the WiFi to connect sometimes and that the Bluetooth doesn't work very well. I asked him if he had gotten the updates and he said that he had. I always enjoy hearing about doctors using PDAs! The nurse said that one of the women anesthesiologists is also a gadget freak and that she is always playing with her toys! |
Doctors who are gadget freaks. Now that's familiar ;)
As for me, I'm a mainly-one-gadget-at-a-time person. While I have a Dell Axim x50v, I use my Treo650 for most things, especially contact management. The memory may be somewhat lacking but that can be overcome by software such as Powerrun which moves applications and data to the SD card.
The Treo650 is a joy to use and in fact the Treo fever is spreading in my hospital where lately another 3 colleagues have purchased Treo650s after seeing mine and brief demo's on my part.
I look forward to new Treo models in 2006 - but not the Windows powered one. I leave that to corporate purchasing people obsessed with the mantra "Nobody ever got fired for buying Microsoft". Treo700w reviews are already out, and you might be interested in reading articles like A Marriage Not Made in Heaven, TreoCentral's review, Palm Treo 700W review roundup: Mossberg says it "doesn't beat 650"
So are you a Gadget doctor? What's your new purchase for 2006?
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
New Nursing Reference Titles for PDAs
Press Release:
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 3, 2006 - Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical decision support tools, announced the release of several important new or updated nursing references for PDAs and smart phones.
The announcement of the new titles – the latest in a growing series of trusted nursing reference titles marks Skyscape’s “strong and continuing dedication to support the highly important and high demand nursing practice,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape president and CEO.
“Nursing professionals have never been more in demand, challenged with caring for so many, and responsible for so much,” Shah said. “Where the application of mobile technology can help with these challenges, we are striving to make a difference.”
“PDAs are changing the nursing profession in that more efficient and effective care is delivered to the patient,” said Dr. Susan F. Smith, RN, CHES, Austin Community College, Health Professions Institute, Austin, Texas. “Skyscape solutions provide nurses with ready access to medical reference information without leaving the patient’s bedside. The benefits are numerous, including quicker reaction times and improved patient care.”
The new titles, available on Palm OS®, Windows® Mobile and Windows® powered desktop and Tablet PCs, are:
• Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice. Step-by-step guidelines for more than 100 procedures in all areas of nursing practice and contains many color images. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=914, $39.95
• Lippincott’s Nursing Drug Guide 2006. Updated with more than 800 complete drug entries. Provides instant access to all the drug information nurses need in day-to-day practice. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1162, $44.95
• Nurses' Guide to Clinical Procedures, 5th Edition. This handy guide provides step-by-step instructions for over 200 common nursing procedures. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1366, $38.95
• Nursing Drug Handbook 2006. The best-selling nursing drug handbook for 26 years is now in its fully updated 2006 edition. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1373, $44.95
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – January 3, 2006 - Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical decision support tools, announced the release of several important new or updated nursing references for PDAs and smart phones.
The announcement of the new titles – the latest in a growing series of trusted nursing reference titles marks Skyscape’s “strong and continuing dedication to support the highly important and high demand nursing practice,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape president and CEO.
“Nursing professionals have never been more in demand, challenged with caring for so many, and responsible for so much,” Shah said. “Where the application of mobile technology can help with these challenges, we are striving to make a difference.”
“PDAs are changing the nursing profession in that more efficient and effective care is delivered to the patient,” said Dr. Susan F. Smith, RN, CHES, Austin Community College, Health Professions Institute, Austin, Texas. “Skyscape solutions provide nurses with ready access to medical reference information without leaving the patient’s bedside. The benefits are numerous, including quicker reaction times and improved patient care.”
The new titles, available on Palm OS®, Windows® Mobile and Windows® powered desktop and Tablet PCs, are:
• Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice. Step-by-step guidelines for more than 100 procedures in all areas of nursing practice and contains many color images. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=914, $39.95
• Lippincott’s Nursing Drug Guide 2006. Updated with more than 800 complete drug entries. Provides instant access to all the drug information nurses need in day-to-day practice. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1162, $44.95
• Nurses' Guide to Clinical Procedures, 5th Edition. This handy guide provides step-by-step instructions for over 200 common nursing procedures. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1366, $38.95
• Nursing Drug Handbook 2006. The best-selling nursing drug handbook for 26 years is now in its fully updated 2006 edition. Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1373, $44.95
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
The OncoWiki Project
I thought it would be useful to have a place on the WWW to freely access chemotherapy protocols and cancer treatment regimens. I can't find any site at present which is comprehensive enough.
I do carry a small database (in Handbase format) on my Palm for chemotherapy regimens but if we can build a large database, I could also convert this to a PDA format and make it freely available to everyone.
I thought the best way everyone who is interested could contribute is in the form of a Wiki (the most famous example being Wikpedia.org the online encyclopedia). Thus I created OncoWiki which I hope will become a repository for all known chemotherapy protocols. It is powered by OpenWikiNG which is database driven and has nice Print Previews and even XML feeds.
All oncologists/hemoncologists (practicing, or in training), nurse oncologists are invited to participate in the OncoWiki Project
The edit function for the pages are password protected so if you want to participate, please send me an email, stating your name, position and where you work.
I do carry a small database (in Handbase format) on my Palm for chemotherapy regimens but if we can build a large database, I could also convert this to a PDA format and make it freely available to everyone.
I thought the best way everyone who is interested could contribute is in the form of a Wiki (the most famous example being Wikpedia.org the online encyclopedia). Thus I created OncoWiki which I hope will become a repository for all known chemotherapy protocols. It is powered by OpenWikiNG which is database driven and has nice Print Previews and even XML feeds.
All oncologists/hemoncologists (practicing, or in training), nurse oncologists are invited to participate in the OncoWiki Project
The edit function for the pages are password protected so if you want to participate, please send me an email, stating your name, position and where you work.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Picsel Proviewer and PalmPDF update
I mentioned that enthusiasts managed to get hacked "unofficial" versions of Picsel Viewer onto their Palms as a native PDF reader. Now you can purchase the original version, Picsel Proviewer. The screenshots look gorgeous and it can read multiple file formats, not only PDF.
It costs US$30. Unfortunately, no evaluation version is available. (via ebernie in PalmX)
If you are looking for a freeware PDF reader, PalmPDF has now been updated to version 1.0 RC1.
Here's wishing a Happy New Year to all of you!
It costs US$30. Unfortunately, no evaluation version is available. (via ebernie in PalmX)
If you are looking for a freeware PDF reader, PalmPDF has now been updated to version 1.0 RC1.
Here's wishing a Happy New Year to all of you!
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Apgar score
Spotted Apgar Score in Freewarepalm.com. I thought 370 Kb is a bit much for a single score calculator. Do note that Apgar score is included in the free highly rated Medcalc for PalmOS which has tons of other features.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Treo650 questions
SK from Harvard, MA writes:
Hi SK. Thanks for writing in.
I must say overall I am very pleased with my Treo 650
First of all, the phone function is excellent. It's more than acceptable - the intuitive keypad and functions make the Treo650 an excellent phone. I did miss Profiles in my SEt610 but I found a freeware replacement. Some have complained about a soft Speaker phone but there is a third party software called Volumecare which is an excellent utility to address those facing volume issues (yeah, stop playing that iPod so often - it's damaging your hearing ;) )
As for your second question, yes i do experience occasional resets but with compatible apps loaded, resets are infrequent. Some apps are a little buggy and will cause a leak in the DBcache memory and resets are sometimes related to a depleted DBCache. There is a nifty freeware DBCache Tool which helps you keep an eye on this and improve stability. Some also use a freware utility called Resco Locker. Overall I find that my Treo650 is pretty stable. Some users have complained of slow-down and freezing when accessing the 'net when the GPRS signal is weak. I have occasionally encountered this and I don't know of a fix but Palm has been updating their firmware regularly to fix bugs and I think this will be overcome as well.
The Treo's keyboard is backlit. Using the phone at night is very easy and I have no problem using the keyboard.
Hope this helps in your decision!
| I have to ask about your Treo 650. I'm pondering buying one of these. I have a separate PDA (Clie Sj22) and cellphone (Nokia 6010) presently. My main concerns with the Treo are voice quality, system stabiltiy, and the number pad. Is the cellphone function acceptable? Is the reception as good as a "typical" cellphone? I hear these phones reset often. Is this your experience? My biggest problem is using my cellphone, while on call, at night. I think the Treo 650 keypad must be tough to dial in the dark, with such small keys. I don't think the Treo allows voice activated calling either. How's your experience regarding these issues? |
Hi SK. Thanks for writing in.
I must say overall I am very pleased with my Treo 650
First of all, the phone function is excellent. It's more than acceptable - the intuitive keypad and functions make the Treo650 an excellent phone. I did miss Profiles in my SEt610 but I found a freeware replacement. Some have complained about a soft Speaker phone but there is a third party software called Volumecare which is an excellent utility to address those facing volume issues (yeah, stop playing that iPod so often - it's damaging your hearing ;) )
As for your second question, yes i do experience occasional resets but with compatible apps loaded, resets are infrequent. Some apps are a little buggy and will cause a leak in the DBcache memory and resets are sometimes related to a depleted DBCache. There is a nifty freeware DBCache Tool which helps you keep an eye on this and improve stability. Some also use a freware utility called Resco Locker. Overall I find that my Treo650 is pretty stable. Some users have complained of slow-down and freezing when accessing the 'net when the GPRS signal is weak. I have occasionally encountered this and I don't know of a fix but Palm has been updating their firmware regularly to fix bugs and I think this will be overcome as well.
The Treo's keyboard is backlit. Using the phone at night is very easy and I have no problem using the keyboard.
Hope this helps in your decision!
Haemoncrules reloaded
OK, have managed to upload the update onto Palmgear.
Please visit the Haemoncrules Homepage for more info.
Don't forget to send me a postcard or better still donate to the Haemoncrules project!
Please visit the Haemoncrules Homepage for more info.
Don't forget to send me a postcard or better still donate to the Haemoncrules project!
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Epocrates Online Free
I received a "Holiday gift" from Epocrates reminding me that their Web-based Epocrates Online service is available for free (with some limitations in their free edition as compared with their Premium edition)
Ever since I moved on to the Treo650, I have had to drop Epocrates from my Handheld since their PDA apps do not support efficient use of external storage cards, resulting in consumption of precious Ram, something the Treo650 is short of.
It got me thinking, if Epocrates could provide a free Online service, why not make it PDA friendly? Something like the PDA version of UpToDate for subscribers. Many PDAs like the TX, Lifedrive as well as Smartphones like the Treo 600/650 have wireless access either through Wifi or GPRS/Edge.
So think about it, Epocrates, if you are not able to produce a Ram efficient PDA app, then perhaps you could make your Online version PDA friendly!
Ever since I moved on to the Treo650, I have had to drop Epocrates from my Handheld since their PDA apps do not support efficient use of external storage cards, resulting in consumption of precious Ram, something the Treo650 is short of.
It got me thinking, if Epocrates could provide a free Online service, why not make it PDA friendly? Something like the PDA version of UpToDate for subscribers. Many PDAs like the TX, Lifedrive as well as Smartphones like the Treo 600/650 have wireless access either through Wifi or GPRS/Edge.
So think about it, Epocrates, if you are not able to produce a Ram efficient PDA app, then perhaps you could make your Online version PDA friendly!
Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006
Press release:
Skyscape Introduces “Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – December 28, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” provides convenient, take-anywhere access to current, unbiased, accurate, and reliable drug information. It contains approximately 1,000 generic drug entries and many more prescription drug products indexed by generic name, U.S. brand name, international brand name, indication, and drug class.
“‘Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Mosby, an Elsevier Health Services Company, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1454.
Skyscape Introduces “Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – December 28, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006” provides convenient, take-anywhere access to current, unbiased, accurate, and reliable drug information. It contains approximately 1,000 generic drug entries and many more prescription drug products indexed by generic name, U.S. brand name, international brand name, indication, and drug class.
“‘Mosby’s Drug Consult & Interactions 2006’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Mosby, an Elsevier Health Services Company, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting
http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1454.
Skyscape provides Cochrane Reviews
Press Release:
Skyscape Announces Partnership to Provide 49 “Cochrane Reviews” Medical Reference Titles for PDAs
MARLBOROUGH, MASS., December 27, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical decision support solutions, today announced a partnership with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to release its family of 49 “Cochrane Reviews” titles, formatted specially for use by Palm and PocketPC enabled PDAs and smart phones.
“Cochrane Reviews” explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments to provide the 'gold-standard' in high quality, reliable, evidence-based medical information. The partnership marks the first time “Cochrane Reviews” titles – which were previously only available as a volume set - will be available as individual titles formatted for mobile, point-of-care use by medical professionals.
"As evidence-based medicine is becoming the basis for effective clinical decisions which result in positive patient outcomes, it is increasingly important that systematically reviewed information is available for determining diagnostic tests, treatments, risk factors, screening programs, and other of disease management requirements. Our partnership with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to provide the ‘Cochrane Reviews’ on PDAs and smartphones provides a critical path for medical practitioners to stay current with the latest evidence in their specialty," said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape Founder and CEO.
“With access to ‘Cochrane Reviews’ titles individually,” Shah continues, “medical professionals can choose which topics apply to their area of specialty and build a continually updated library of evidence on their PDA.”
“Cochrane Reviews” are part of The Cochrane Library published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and deliver the best available evidence-based medical information. Each review explores the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments (medications, surgery, education) in specific circumstances. With the new partnership, Skyscape will offer a full selection of “Cochrane Reviews”, including:
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Infectious Disease
• Oncology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• And more than 30 other areas of specialty
The “Cochrane Reviews” titles join Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties. Cochrane Reviews titles are available for $29.95 each at http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail_Cochrane.aspx, where a free trial version is also available for download.
Skyscape Announces Partnership to Provide 49 “Cochrane Reviews” Medical Reference Titles for PDAs
MARLBOROUGH, MASS., December 27, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical decision support solutions, today announced a partnership with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to release its family of 49 “Cochrane Reviews” titles, formatted specially for use by Palm and PocketPC enabled PDAs and smart phones.
“Cochrane Reviews” explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments to provide the 'gold-standard' in high quality, reliable, evidence-based medical information. The partnership marks the first time “Cochrane Reviews” titles – which were previously only available as a volume set - will be available as individual titles formatted for mobile, point-of-care use by medical professionals.
"As evidence-based medicine is becoming the basis for effective clinical decisions which result in positive patient outcomes, it is increasingly important that systematically reviewed information is available for determining diagnostic tests, treatments, risk factors, screening programs, and other of disease management requirements. Our partnership with John Wiley & Sons, Inc. to provide the ‘Cochrane Reviews’ on PDAs and smartphones provides a critical path for medical practitioners to stay current with the latest evidence in their specialty," said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape Founder and CEO.
“With access to ‘Cochrane Reviews’ titles individually,” Shah continues, “medical professionals can choose which topics apply to their area of specialty and build a continually updated library of evidence on their PDA.”
“Cochrane Reviews” are part of The Cochrane Library published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., and deliver the best available evidence-based medical information. Each review explores the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of treatments (medications, surgery, education) in specific circumstances. With the new partnership, Skyscape will offer a full selection of “Cochrane Reviews”, including:
• Anesthesiology
• Cardiology
• Infectious Disease
• Oncology
• Pediatrics
• Public Health
• And more than 30 other areas of specialty
The “Cochrane Reviews” titles join Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties. Cochrane Reviews titles are available for $29.95 each at http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail_Cochrane.aspx, where a free trial version is also available for download.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
Haemoncrules Christmas update
First of all a very Merry Christmas to all of you who are celebrating. Here's wishing you all peace and happiness on this blessed day.
I have taken the opportunity to update Haemoncrules - now version 2.0 with the addition of the MACIS Thyroid Ca. prognostic score (as requested by Vagus).
I am however in a place where I don't have broadband and where dialup really sucks and I can barely blog let alone upload files properly. So I'm afraid here's only a screenshot and the updated Haemoncrules will find it's way to Palmgear only after December 28:
I have taken the opportunity to update Haemoncrules - now version 2.0 with the addition of the MACIS Thyroid Ca. prognostic score (as requested by Vagus).
I am however in a place where I don't have broadband and where dialup really sucks and I can barely blog let alone upload files properly. So I'm afraid here's only a screenshot and the updated Haemoncrules will find it's way to Palmgear only after December 28:
Profiles for the Treo
Having switched to the Treo650 as my PDA/Phone convergence device, I must say that I haven't regretted the move and am enjoying the Treo everyday. There are a few things I miss though about the Treo as compared with my previous phone (a SonyEricsson T610). One of them is the ability to switch "profiles" easily - important say if you are at a meeting or conference and want your phone to stay silent and buzz only for calls or SMS messages.
Well I found an excellent add-on for the Treo 600/650 and its free. It's called Profiles and version 1.01 is superb. It allows you to setup multiple profiles with all sorts of parameters - not only the rings, buzzes but also cool things like the display, theme. I particularly like the ability to set the Radio state ON automatically for the profile in case you need to reset the Treo. You can also set a schedule for particular profiles to come on automatically at set times. Very cool.
I rate Profiles 5/5 and a must-have if you use a Treo!
Well I found an excellent add-on for the Treo 600/650 and its free. It's called Profiles and version 1.01 is superb. It allows you to setup multiple profiles with all sorts of parameters - not only the rings, buzzes but also cool things like the display, theme. I particularly like the ability to set the Radio state ON automatically for the profile in case you need to reset the Treo. You can also set a schedule for particular profiles to come on automatically at set times. Very cool.
I rate Profiles 5/5 and a must-have if you use a Treo!
Friday, December 16, 2005
Mobile Gmail
Good news for Mobile doctors. Google now officially supports mobile devices.
I tested it out on my Treo 650 and it works well using the Treo's Blazer browser.
Here's a screenshot:
I tested it out on my Treo 650 and it works well using the Treo's Blazer browser.
Here's a screenshot:
New PDA titles
Some press releases:
| Unbound: CURRENT CONSULT Medicine 2006 Unbound Medicine today released the all new 2006 edition of the CURRENT CONSULT Medicine (CCMed). From the authors and editors of Lange’s best-selling CURRENT Medical Diagnosis and Treatment, CURRENT CONSULT MEDICINE 2006 has all the latest information for rapid answers to the questions encountered in both hospital and outpatient care settings. The integrated differential diagnosis tool, derived from Diagnosaurus, allows users to lookup a symptom such as cough or headache, obtain the differential diagnosis (DDx), and then link directly to specific diseases and treatments in CCMed. Additional features include: * Practical answers on more than 850 disorders integrated with 550 differential diagnoses * New topics—SARS, Parvovirus, and more! * Tables optimized for PDA viewing * Practice guidelines and specific doses |
| Skyscape Introduces “Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database 2006” for Handheld Devices MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – December 15, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database 2006” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones. “Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database 2006” is a practical source of evidence based data on the uses and safety of natural medicines like herbs, vitamins, minerals, and supplements. The easy to use database is recognized as the scientific gold-standard for evidence based information. “‘Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database 2006’ is ideal for medical practitioners,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink™, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah. The reference is published by the Therapeutic Research Center, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties. Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1449. |
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Heart Doctor
Spottedin Palmgear, Heart Doctor is a new release by Island Coders
| Application Description Heart Doctor is a complete guide to the management of the ten most common heart problems afflicting man today. Discussions concerning the disease description, orders, diagnosis and therapeutics are presented in a most concise and comprehensive manner. Designed for physicians and patients, Heart Doctor acts as a quick reference to patient management. It covers Acute Myocardial Infarction, Unstable Angina, Congestive Heart Failure, Hypertensive Urgency & Emergency, Supraventricular Tachycardia, Atrial Fibrillation, Premature Ventricular Contractions, Premature Atrial Contractions, Infective Endocarditis (treatment) and Acute Rheumatoid Fever. |
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Upcoming plans
It's been a quiet week for Palm Medical computing so I'd just let you know what's up and coming my end. Vagus has written to ask me about a Palm program to calculate prognostic scores for Thyroid ca, so I told him I'd be happy to include one (MACIS) in the next version of Haemoncrules. I think I'll work on this during the Christmas break so hopefully the new version will be released in 2006.
A coleague has also broached the idea of converting a useful hand book called "Emergencies in Internal Medicine" written by Dr. Wong Yin Onn back in 1988. If things go as planned (the author has given his permission), then a bunch of us will update the sections, then we'll release it as a free ebook (probably in iSilo format).
Well, that's the plans for the coming months.
Happy Palming!
A coleague has also broached the idea of converting a useful hand book called "Emergencies in Internal Medicine" written by Dr. Wong Yin Onn back in 1988. If things go as planned (the author has given his permission), then a bunch of us will update the sections, then we'll release it as a free ebook (probably in iSilo format).
Well, that's the plans for the coming months.
Happy Palming!
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
Skyscape Expands Partnership with American College of Physicians
Press release:
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Dec. 5, 2005 – Skyscape Inc. and the American College of Physicians (ACP) today announce an expanded partnership to transition all subscribers from the ACP PDA version of the Physicians’ Information and Education Resource (PIER) to Skyscape’s mobile platform.
Under this agreement, all subscribers to the ACP version of the PIER PDA can upgrade to a free, one-year subscription for a special Skyscape bundle of PIER and AHFS Dosing Companion. This special bundle combines the best in evidence-based clinical guidance & drug dosing guidelines and includes rationale/evidence levels plus hundreds of images not previously included in the ACP PIER PDA version. In addition, Skyscape is offering special savings to all other ACP Members on PIER and hundreds of medicine's most trusted physician references for mobile devices. Click here for more information
“More of our members are using mobile devices as part of their daily practice, and this enhanced partnership will allow them to fully realize the usefulness of PIER’s evidence-based approach by providing seamless cross-indexing with their other Skyscape mobile references,” said ACP Executive Vice President and CEO John Tooker, MD, MBA, FACP. “Skyscape brings the technology, expertise and proven track record needed to meet our needs and the needs of our physician members. By providing immediate, cross-indexing capability with more than 300 other trusted medical
references, Skyscape has helped us bring even more functionality to PIER.”
Developed and continually updated by the ACP, PIER is a decision-support tool designed for rapid point-of-care delivery of evidence-based guidance for clinicians. PIER’s 400 disease-based modules present a series of guidance statements and practice recommendations, supported by more detailed levels of rationale and evidence.
“For decades the ACP has enhanced the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine. Now, by making evidenced-based information accessible to doctors at point-of-care and using Skyscape’s smARTlink™ technology to integrate it with all other Skyscape products, the ACP is helping set a new standard in the use of evidenced-based medicine in daily practice,” said Sandeep Shah, president and CEO of Skyscape, Inc.
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Dec. 5, 2005 – Skyscape Inc. and the American College of Physicians (ACP) today announce an expanded partnership to transition all subscribers from the ACP PDA version of the Physicians’ Information and Education Resource (PIER) to Skyscape’s mobile platform.
Under this agreement, all subscribers to the ACP version of the PIER PDA can upgrade to a free, one-year subscription for a special Skyscape bundle of PIER and AHFS Dosing Companion. This special bundle combines the best in evidence-based clinical guidance & drug dosing guidelines and includes rationale/evidence levels plus hundreds of images not previously included in the ACP PIER PDA version. In addition, Skyscape is offering special savings to all other ACP Members on PIER and hundreds of medicine's most trusted physician references for mobile devices. Click here for more information
“More of our members are using mobile devices as part of their daily practice, and this enhanced partnership will allow them to fully realize the usefulness of PIER’s evidence-based approach by providing seamless cross-indexing with their other Skyscape mobile references,” said ACP Executive Vice President and CEO John Tooker, MD, MBA, FACP. “Skyscape brings the technology, expertise and proven track record needed to meet our needs and the needs of our physician members. By providing immediate, cross-indexing capability with more than 300 other trusted medical
references, Skyscape has helped us bring even more functionality to PIER.”
Developed and continually updated by the ACP, PIER is a decision-support tool designed for rapid point-of-care delivery of evidence-based guidance for clinicians. PIER’s 400 disease-based modules present a series of guidance statements and practice recommendations, supported by more detailed levels of rationale and evidence.
“For decades the ACP has enhanced the quality and effectiveness of health care by fostering excellence and professionalism in the practice of medicine. Now, by making evidenced-based information accessible to doctors at point-of-care and using Skyscape’s smARTlink™ technology to integrate it with all other Skyscape products, the ACP is helping set a new standard in the use of evidenced-based medicine in daily practice,” said Sandeep Shah, president and CEO of Skyscape, Inc.
Thursday, December 01, 2005
PDAs help reduce unnecessary Rx
Mobilehealthdata reports:
Score another one for PDA usage at point-of-care!
| A study of 334 physicians in rural Utah and Idaho found that a PDA-based clinical decision support system helped reduce the number of antibiotics prescribed for respiratory infections. The study took place in 2001-2003 and was funded by the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Results were published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association. |
Score another one for PDA usage at point-of-care!
5MCC mates with Diagnosaurus
Unbound Medicine has now integrated their 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2006 product with the free PDA differential diagnosis tool, Diagnosaurus
| Diagnosaurus has been integrated with 5-Minute Clinical Consult 2006 to make this resource more powerful than ever! FREE with this version of 5-Minute Clinical Consult the popular Diagnosaurus contains differential diagnoses for more than 1,000 common presentations. This special Unbound Medicine package gives you direct links from presenting symptoms and differential diagnoses in Diagnosaurus right into 5MCC disease content. |
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
A couple of Skyscape Press releases
Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment" for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 29, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment” is a fast, effective way to access important diagnostic and therapeutic information. The new edition features annual revisions for up-to-the minute patient care information, provides cost-effective referral and consultation guidelines, includes more than 200 lab tests with normal values and interpretation of results, incorporates the most common childhood diseases in the Diseases and Disorders section, provides billing codes, including ICD-9-CM codes to expedite insurance claims and reimbursements and much more.
“‘Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment’ is ideal for internal medicine physicians,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Mosby, an Elsevier Health Sciences Company, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1446.
Skyscape Introduces "Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures," 2nd Ed. for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, Nov 29, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures,” 2nd Ed. formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
Completely updated for its Second Edition, all of the procedures from the popular, standard-setting “Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures” are now available in a comprehensive reference for mobile devices. This resource provides step-by-step guidelines for more than 150 procedures in all areas of nursing practice and contains many color images.(Download photo at: http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1448)
Content is organized by chapter/procedure number and alphabetically for quick access. Easy navigation features include searching capabilities by chapter or alphabetically. Cross-referencing enables users to find related procedures with just one tap of the stylus.
“‘Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures’ is ideal for nurses,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. More than a reference, this is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1448.
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 29, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment” formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
“Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment” is a fast, effective way to access important diagnostic and therapeutic information. The new edition features annual revisions for up-to-the minute patient care information, provides cost-effective referral and consultation guidelines, includes more than 200 lab tests with normal values and interpretation of results, incorporates the most common childhood diseases in the Diseases and Disorders section, provides billing codes, including ICD-9-CM codes to expedite insurance claims and reimbursements and much more.
“‘Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2006 - Instant Diagnosis & Treatment’ is ideal for internal medicine physicians,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. This reference is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Mosby, an Elsevier Health Sciences Company, and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1446.
Skyscape Introduces "Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures," 2nd Ed. for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, Nov 29, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of “Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures,” 2nd Ed. formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones.
Completely updated for its Second Edition, all of the procedures from the popular, standard-setting “Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures” are now available in a comprehensive reference for mobile devices. This resource provides step-by-step guidelines for more than 150 procedures in all areas of nursing practice and contains many color images.(Download photo at: http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1448)
Content is organized by chapter/procedure number and alphabetically for quick access. Easy navigation features include searching capabilities by chapter or alphabetically. Cross-referencing enables users to find related procedures with just one tap of the stylus.
“‘Lippincott Manual of Nursing Practice: Procedures’ is ideal for nurses,” said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. “Skyscape’s intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. More than a reference, this is a powerful decision support tool that helps in reducing errors and enhances the quality of patient care,” said Shah.
The reference is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and joins Skyscape’s portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting http://www.skyscape.com/estore/ProductDetail.aspx?ProductId=1448.
Clinician’s PDA Project
The Children’s Hospital Boston is running a Clinician’s PDA Project whereby doctors are provided with PDAs in order to access information at the point of care. Excellent move. How I wish my hospital were so far sighted :P
Here's the story:
I must point out that one of the most popular Pediatric references outside of North America is Frank Shann's Drug Doses. It's not available by Skyscape yet (hint hint) but there is a PDA version out already.
I blogged about it earlier this year in Frank Shann's Drugdoses for PDA
Here's the story:
| MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Nov. 29, 2005 – Clinicians making their rounds at Children’s Hospital Boston are replacing charts, index cards, and heavy books with 6 1/2-ounce, handheld wireless computers that carry important patient information and mobile medical references from Skyscape, Inc., the leading provider of interactive mobile references for over 475,000 medical professionals. While the stethoscope still remains an essential tool, the handheld computers (PDA) are ideal assistants for clinicians, who benefit from having access to real-time information and up-to-date medical references while making their rounds at the hospital, said Sandeep Shah, president and CEO of Skyscape. The hospital-funded program, called “Clinician’s PDA Project,” was initiated in October 2004 with 150 clinicians each given wireless pocket PC devices. The key project objective was to give clinicians access to information when they want it, where they want it. “When clinicians are at a patient’s bedside, they are benefiting from having immediate access to reference materials and quick reference guide books as well as laboratory results and any clinical data we have in-house,” says Alex Khayat, the hospital’s manager for architecture, standards and emerging technologies. “Now instead of waiting minutes to obtain the relevant patient information and decide on a course of action, clinicians can access this information, as well as critical decision support references, directly at their fingertips, enabling faster, more informed decision making with fewer errors.” After clinicians extensively reviewed references from various sources, Children’s Hospital decided on a core set of references that included three pediatric titles from Skyscape, the leading provider of trusted medical references for mobile and desktop devices. In addition, the Clinician’s PDA Project included software from many other vendors to round out the offering with Children’s Hospital specific formulary information and other clinical tools. The hospital worked very closely with the software vendors to bring their standards up to an enterprise-wide level to be able to automate, deploy, and manage very quickly and without user intervention. |
I must point out that one of the most popular Pediatric references outside of North America is Frank Shann's Drug Doses. It's not available by Skyscape yet (hint hint) but there is a PDA version out already.
I blogged about it earlier this year in Frank Shann's Drugdoses for PDA
Tuesday, November 29, 2005
PalmPDF updated yet again
I am glad to report that the author of PalmPDF is continuing to develop and improve on PalmPDF. This is good news for those of us who like to read their journal articles on their PDAs!
Updates:
0.7 (11/23/05, "Thanksgiving update")
- bug fix regarding UDMH and FtrPtrNew
- bug fix on Zire72
- bug fix with SnapperMail PDF attachment
- Updated GUI
- JogDial support on TH55
- Low-Res support
- added 65%, 85% and 95% as additional zoom factor
- remembers last scroll values for last visited document
- Basic rotation support using the 1st hard key (Function on Zodiac)
- smaller scroll values when using the 5-way for scrolling (better readable)
0.8 (11/26/05 "postponed Thangsgiving update")
- Basic memory manager to avoid fragmentation, might bring better performance on some devices
- Better installation, all fonts inside the app and extracted at first run
- ARMlet (1.2 MB) can be moved to memory card, leading around 38 kB PRC in main memory
to handle attachments and receive PDF files
- Beam/Send for PDF files
- Presentation mode, sends rendered pages as jpeg to any BT device (using Object Exchange)
together with a Bluetooth Media Adapter (BT->TV) you get a great presentation combo
I tried it out again and I can report a vast improvement over the earlier version. Now the zoom works faster and the Treo650's Dpad controls the movement around the document nicely. It still needs a fair amount of resources (cache memory) free.
Screenshot:
Updates:
0.7 (11/23/05, "Thanksgiving update")
- bug fix regarding UDMH and FtrPtrNew
- bug fix on Zire72
- bug fix with SnapperMail PDF attachment
- Updated GUI
- JogDial support on TH55
- Low-Res support
- added 65%, 85% and 95% as additional zoom factor
- remembers last scroll values for last visited document
- Basic rotation support using the 1st hard key (Function on Zodiac)
- smaller scroll values when using the 5-way for scrolling (better readable)
0.8 (11/26/05 "postponed Thangsgiving update")
- Basic memory manager to avoid fragmentation, might bring better performance on some devices
- Better installation, all fonts inside the app and extracted at first run
- ARMlet (1.2 MB) can be moved to memory card, leading around 38 kB PRC in main memory
to handle attachments and receive PDF files
- Beam/Send for PDF files
- Presentation mode, sends rendered pages as jpeg to any BT device (using Object Exchange)
together with a Bluetooth Media Adapter (BT->TV) you get a great presentation combo
I tried it out again and I can report a vast improvement over the earlier version. Now the zoom works faster and the Treo650's Dpad controls the movement around the document nicely. It still needs a fair amount of resources (cache memory) free.
Screenshot:
Monday, November 28, 2005
Efficient Time Management with your PDA
Busy doctor? Don't know how to juggle so many appointments and procedures?
Let your PDA help you!
Time management with PDAs looks like a good place to get tips on how best to optimise the limited hours you have each day....
Great site Bruce. And indeed my prayers go to you and Vickie Lynn.
via Spinosum in the MMR IT Forums
Let your PDA help you!
Time management with PDAs looks like a good place to get tips on how best to optimise the limited hours you have each day....
Great site Bruce. And indeed my prayers go to you and Vickie Lynn.
via Spinosum in the MMR IT Forums
Sunday, November 27, 2005
Clinical Cardiology 2007
Pacific Primary Care has released Clinical Cardiology 2007. I am amused that they have come out with a 2007 version when it is not even 2006.
I guess that's called "staying ahead of the competition"!
I guess that's called "staying ahead of the competition"!
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Pedia Dosage Guide
IslandCoders have come up with Pedia Dosage Guide 1.0
Summary: A collection of pediatric medications with recommended doses and its preparations. Presented with a dosage calculator that will help clinicians in administering medications.
Summary: A collection of pediatric medications with recommended doses and its preparations. Presented with a dosage calculator that will help clinicians in administering medications.
Blogroll update
Added TreoTodaywhich looks like a great Treo blog. Comes from a fellow countryman too ;) Ever dropped your PDA or smartphone in a toilet bowl? AJ did, and discovered 10 Things I can’t do without my Treo. The happy ending is the Treo650 survived the encounter with the toilet bowl!
I suggest those of you who like to read in the toilet with your Palm, please get eGrips!
I suggest those of you who like to read in the toilet with your Palm, please get eGrips!
Monday, November 21, 2005
Rumours of the next Treo again
Mobileread reports the following speculated time table:
* January 2006: Treo 700w (WM 5.0, ED-VO) exclusively from Verizon
* January 2006: Treo 700p (Palm OS) exclusively from Sprint
* March-May 2006: "Hollywood" - fancier 3G/GSM smartphone without external antenna to appeal to European customers; in US likely to be launched by Cingular
* March-May 2006: "Lowrider" - a sub-$300 device and entry-level PDA, compatible to previous-generation network radios
Well hurray for Hollywood! Looks like that'll be the Treo upgrade I am looking forward to!
via Palmaddicts
* January 2006: Treo 700w (WM 5.0, ED-VO) exclusively from Verizon
* January 2006: Treo 700p (Palm OS) exclusively from Sprint
* March-May 2006: "Hollywood" - fancier 3G/GSM smartphone without external antenna to appeal to European customers; in US likely to be launched by Cingular
* March-May 2006: "Lowrider" - a sub-$300 device and entry-level PDA, compatible to previous-generation network radios
Well hurray for Hollywood! Looks like that'll be the Treo upgrade I am looking forward to!
via Palmaddicts
MDS IPSS
I have been approached to develop a standalone version of the Myelodysplastic Syndrome International Prognostic Scoring System for the Palm. You might be aware there is already an IPSS module in Haemoncrules but this one is more elaborate and the interface has been redesigned a bit.
The item heading is now separate from the drop down box. You do not have to hit "Calc" as the values are filled in automatically once you have selected the required three variables.
A new feature is the addition of Survival Curves and AML Progression curves. Hitting on the Graph button after generating the score will take you to the appropriate image.
I actually found this IPSS program useful when I was discussing management plans with a patient of mine who has MDS. She wanted to know her prognosis and whether or not allogeneic stem cell transplantation was appropriate for her at this point in time.
I whipped out my Treo650 and tapped out her IPSS score and showed her the survival curve appropriate for her score. I think she and her husband were impressed ;)
Anyway, this program will be free and available to ASH attendees in Atlanta this year if they visit the Pharmion booth.
The item heading is now separate from the drop down box. You do not have to hit "Calc" as the values are filled in automatically once you have selected the required three variables.
A new feature is the addition of Survival Curves and AML Progression curves. Hitting on the Graph button after generating the score will take you to the appropriate image.
I actually found this IPSS program useful when I was discussing management plans with a patient of mine who has MDS. She wanted to know her prognosis and whether or not allogeneic stem cell transplantation was appropriate for her at this point in time.
I whipped out my Treo650 and tapped out her IPSS score and showed her the survival curve appropriate for her score. I think she and her husband were impressed ;)
Anyway, this program will be free and available to ASH attendees in Atlanta this year if they visit the Pharmion booth.
Friday, November 18, 2005
Thursday, November 17, 2005
Health Assessment Through the Life Span
Skyscape Introduces Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. Bundle for Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 16, 2005 Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones. The reference is published by F.A. Davis and joins Skyscape's portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. is ideal for nurses to review condensed coverage of health assessment, said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. Its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. More than a reference, Skyscape's Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. is a powerful decision support tool that eliminates errors and enhances the quality of patient care said Shah.
This information-packed, easy-to-use pocket guide serves both as a reference for nurses working in clinical settings and as a student text for programs that offer condensed coverage of health assessment. Organized by body systems, the focus of this updated edition remains on assessing, documenting, and reporting the current status and changes in the condition of patients for all age groups.
Key Features
- Added focus on pain assessment and documentation, which is now required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO).
- Expanded coverage of dental history and problems, obesity and diabetes, assessment of mental symptoms and behavior, and abuse and/or neglect.
- Additional color figures further illustrate procedures. Tables and appendices are revised and updated.
- More pediatric coverage on breast development for children, abuse, and asthma.
- More geriatric coverage on assessing edema, circulation and skin problems, nutritional needs, medications, and vitamins.
- Focuses on health promotion and wellness, community resources, payment mechanisms, specialized communication techniques based on age, ethnicity, and culture, and the use of alternative and complementary therapies.
- Clinical alert sections detail, in color, special instructions for assessments or concerns related to findings.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting Skyscape
MARLBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS, USA, November 16, 2005 Skyscape, Inc., the leader in mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. formatted specially for PDAs and smart phones. The reference is published by F.A. Davis and joins Skyscape's portfolio of more than 300 trusted references in over 35 medical specialties.
Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. is ideal for nurses to review condensed coverage of health assessment, said Sandeep Shah, Skyscape founder and CEO. Its intuitive and easy-to-use interface, smARTlink, provides practitioners with instant access to critical information at the point of care. More than a reference, Skyscape's Health Assessment Through the Life Span, 4th Ed. is a powerful decision support tool that eliminates errors and enhances the quality of patient care said Shah.
This information-packed, easy-to-use pocket guide serves both as a reference for nurses working in clinical settings and as a student text for programs that offer condensed coverage of health assessment. Organized by body systems, the focus of this updated edition remains on assessing, documenting, and reporting the current status and changes in the condition of patients for all age groups.
Key Features
- Added focus on pain assessment and documentation, which is now required by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Health Care Organizations (JCAHO).
- Expanded coverage of dental history and problems, obesity and diabetes, assessment of mental symptoms and behavior, and abuse and/or neglect.
- Additional color figures further illustrate procedures. Tables and appendices are revised and updated.
- More pediatric coverage on breast development for children, abuse, and asthma.
- More geriatric coverage on assessing edema, circulation and skin problems, nutritional needs, medications, and vitamins.
- Focuses on health promotion and wellness, community resources, payment mechanisms, specialized communication techniques based on age, ethnicity, and culture, and the use of alternative and complementary therapies.
- Clinical alert sections detail, in color, special instructions for assessments or concerns related to findings.
Practitioners can purchase the reference or download a free trial version by visiting Skyscape
21 CFR Handheld
Press release:
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va and ALBERTSLUND, Denmark, November 16, 2005
Today, Unbound Medicine, the leading provider of authoritative information designed for mobile professionals, and Tarius, the leading provider of global regulatory and compliance information for the pharmaceutical industry, announced the release of 21 CFR Handheld. Mobile regulatory professionals can now consult the complete Title 21 of the Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR) as well as Federal Register updates from any location using either a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a wireless device such as BlackBerry, Treo, or a Smartphone.
Regulatory and quality assurance professionals frequently consult current and relevant regulatory information to guide their decision making. Traditionally, these professionals carry a book of regulations with them and add notes manually whenever a change occurs. The book itself is only updated annually, so they must check regularly for updates and rely on their own notes in order to remain current.
For 21 CFR Handheld, Tarius inserts links that connect the user to amendments within hours of the daily release of new information by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Unbound Medicine’s unique platform delivers this daily update to 21 CFR Handheld users, either through PDA synchronization or over the Internet to a wireless device. Now regulatory professionals can always have the most up-to-date information in an integrated and portable format. .
“On-the-go pharmaceutical and regulatory professionals who need fast, authoritative answers to the constantly changing regulations that govern human drugs, biologics and medical devices will now be able to check the complete 21 CFR from any location, “ said Bill Detmer, MD, President and CEO of Unbound Medicine. “We are proud to partner with Tarius to serve this segment of the healthcare market, given their global reputation as a source of high quality information.”
“Unbound Medicine’s strength in information architecture and their versatile technology are a perfect complement to our capabilities at Tarius,” said Nina Lindholst, Vice President of Tarius. “Now our users can carry the essential 21 CFR in their pockets—complete with bi-directional links to the latest amendments.”
For more information about 21 CFR Handheld visit Unbound Medicine's Online Catalog or CFR Handheld Website.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va and ALBERTSLUND, Denmark, November 16, 2005
Today, Unbound Medicine, the leading provider of authoritative information designed for mobile professionals, and Tarius, the leading provider of global regulatory and compliance information for the pharmaceutical industry, announced the release of 21 CFR Handheld. Mobile regulatory professionals can now consult the complete Title 21 of the Code of the Federal Regulations (CFR) as well as Federal Register updates from any location using either a personal digital assistant (PDA) or a wireless device such as BlackBerry, Treo, or a Smartphone.
Regulatory and quality assurance professionals frequently consult current and relevant regulatory information to guide their decision making. Traditionally, these professionals carry a book of regulations with them and add notes manually whenever a change occurs. The book itself is only updated annually, so they must check regularly for updates and rely on their own notes in order to remain current.
For 21 CFR Handheld, Tarius inserts links that connect the user to amendments within hours of the daily release of new information by the U.S. Government Printing Office. Unbound Medicine’s unique platform delivers this daily update to 21 CFR Handheld users, either through PDA synchronization or over the Internet to a wireless device. Now regulatory professionals can always have the most up-to-date information in an integrated and portable format. .
“On-the-go pharmaceutical and regulatory professionals who need fast, authoritative answers to the constantly changing regulations that govern human drugs, biologics and medical devices will now be able to check the complete 21 CFR from any location, “ said Bill Detmer, MD, President and CEO of Unbound Medicine. “We are proud to partner with Tarius to serve this segment of the healthcare market, given their global reputation as a source of high quality information.”
“Unbound Medicine’s strength in information architecture and their versatile technology are a perfect complement to our capabilities at Tarius,” said Nina Lindholst, Vice President of Tarius. “Now our users can carry the essential 21 CFR in their pockets—complete with bi-directional links to the latest amendments.”
For more information about 21 CFR Handheld visit Unbound Medicine's Online Catalog or CFR Handheld Website.
Monday, November 14, 2005
Egrips review
Ever worry you might drop your PDA or smartphone whilst busy at work or rounding and trying to do three things at once?
Well, ever since I got my treo650, it has been a concern of mine, as the Treo is a slippery little thing in my hands.
Fear no more, as you can get peace of mind if you install non-stick decals: Egrips on your device.
I wrote a little Egrips Review which you might be interested to read.
Well, ever since I got my treo650, it has been a concern of mine, as the Treo is a slippery little thing in my hands.
Fear no more, as you can get peace of mind if you install non-stick decals: Egrips on your device.
I wrote a little Egrips Review which you might be interested to read.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Blogroll update
Finally got round to updating my Palm blogroll - this is a list of Palm and Palm related Blogs I visit. I have removed the defunct ones but left the rest which work, even if some haven't been updated in a while.
My numero uno fav is Palmaddicts which is great for the very latest news. You literally have to check it several times a day or else you might miss something!
I have added two new blogs:
Maceyr's palm discovery
TamsPalm
My numero uno fav is Palmaddicts which is great for the very latest news. You literally have to check it several times a day or else you might miss something!
I have added two new blogs:
Maceyr's palm discovery
TamsPalm
Pocket Guide Breast Cancer Drugs
Skyscape has released Pocket Guide Breast Cancer Drugs 8.0.3 in Palmgear
 The Pocket Guide to Breast Cancer Drugs provides ready access to the essentials of breast cancer management, including information on prevention and screening, staging, and treatment regimens. Pertinent information for 26 cancer drugs is comprehensively covered, from dosage and preparation to administration and interventions for potential side effects. The inclusion of patient education points for each drug simplifies your patient teaching. A must-have companion resource for oncology nurses! |
Friday, November 11, 2005
Docs2Go now supports Native PDF
Palminfocenter reports that Docs To Go v8 Released with Native PDF Support
Great news for the Palm PDA toting doctors who like to read PDFs like journal articles on the go.
Related post:
PDF Readers for Palm roundup
Great news for the Palm PDA toting doctors who like to read PDFs like journal articles on the go.
Related post:
PDF Readers for Palm roundup
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
Another mobile Google
Via PalmAddicts: Apart from searching the net using Google PDA, you can also go to Google XHTML which has more features including a Mobile Web search.
More Free Stuff
Chris Helopoulos has written an article in pdaMD.com, entitled More Free Stuff.
It's a good round-up of recent freebies for your PDA.
I have to mention he missed out Haemoncrules :P but I guess it's not new ;)
It's a good round-up of recent freebies for your PDA.
I have to mention he missed out Haemoncrules :P but I guess it's not new ;)
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
PalmPDF updated
Further to my mini-PDF Readers for Palm roundup, you might be interested to know that PalmPDF has now been updated to version 0.5
0.5 11/01/05
- Resets auto off timer
- doesn't disable power key (only happened on some devices)
- icon with transparent bg
- scroll bars added, only as info not for navigation
- Finally: landscape support
- directory on memory card is registered for .pdf (Hotsync)
- PalmPDF is registered as receiver for .pdf files over BT or IR (file transfer)
- Zoom select popup menu, Page select popup window
- TrueType support
Thanks to Palmaddicts for the headsup
0.5 11/01/05
- Resets auto off timer
- doesn't disable power key (only happened on some devices)
- icon with transparent bg
- scroll bars added, only as info not for navigation
- Finally: landscape support
- directory on memory card is registered for .pdf (Hotsync)
- PalmPDF is registered as receiver for .pdf files over BT or IR (file transfer)
- Zoom select popup menu, Page select popup window
- TrueType support
Thanks to Palmaddicts for the headsup
Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs
Press release:
Skyscape Introduces Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and Treatment for
Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – November 07, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in trusted mobile
health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of an important
Oncology reference – Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and Treatment – formatted
specially for use by healthcare providers on PDAs and smart phones.
Published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and
Treatment is authored by Gail M. Wilkes, RNC, MS, AOCN, Boston Medical Center. This
reference reviews the current status of the management of colon and rectal cancers,
including: a review of the incidence, epidemiology, and trends; staging and primary surgical
management; adjuvant therapy; and treatment of advanced disease. In addition, specific
information about each of the chemotherapeutic agents used in systemic treatment as
adjuvant therapy of treatment of advanced disease is presented for both the nurse and
patient/family. The reference is easy to navigate and includes a brief overview of colorectal
cancer and patient education information for each of the drugs. A must-have companion
resource for oncology nurses!
Skyscape Introduces Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and Treatment for
Handheld Devices
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – November 07, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in trusted mobile
health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of an important
Oncology reference – Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and Treatment – formatted
specially for use by healthcare providers on PDAs and smart phones.
Published by Jones and Bartlett Publishers, Pocket Guide to Colorectal Cancer Drugs and
Treatment is authored by Gail M. Wilkes, RNC, MS, AOCN, Boston Medical Center. This
reference reviews the current status of the management of colon and rectal cancers,
including: a review of the incidence, epidemiology, and trends; staging and primary surgical
management; adjuvant therapy; and treatment of advanced disease. In addition, specific
information about each of the chemotherapeutic agents used in systemic treatment as
adjuvant therapy of treatment of advanced disease is presented for both the nurse and
patient/family. The reference is easy to navigate and includes a brief overview of colorectal
cancer and patient education information for each of the drugs. A must-have companion
resource for oncology nurses!
Monday, November 07, 2005
A new Treo user
DrTony's got a new Treo650. Welcome to the convergence club ;)
I would have thought 23 MB is too little and that kept me from getting a Treo650 for some time. But with Zlauncher and moving files to SD card, it's tolerable - except that I have had to forgo Epocrates on the Treo650 (I have since installed it on my Dell Axim x50v which also runs UpToDate; but most of the time I rely on the Treo650 for everyday referencing)
It's good to hear of forthcoming Treo models - next year. I look forward to 64-128MB Ram, 3G support, a better camera and perhaps Wifi drivers please, Palm?
I would have thought 23 MB is too little and that kept me from getting a Treo650 for some time. But with Zlauncher and moving files to SD card, it's tolerable - except that I have had to forgo Epocrates on the Treo650 (I have since installed it on my Dell Axim x50v which also runs UpToDate; but most of the time I rely on the Treo650 for everyday referencing)
It's good to hear of forthcoming Treo models - next year. I look forward to 64-128MB Ram, 3G support, a better camera and perhaps Wifi drivers please, Palm?
Using a PDA as a Medical Education Aid
I have been using the Treo650 and it's built-in camera as a simple patient education device. The camera may be only 1 MP but the pictures are reasonably sharp and the video is not too bad.
You may often need to explain to patients certain procedures and pictures and videos tell much more than words.
I think it is impressive if you whip out your PDA and play a short video clip or demo some pictures to aid in your explanation
Check out this little clip I took of a PICC using my Treo650:
The video is hosted on YouTube which seems to be a great place to upload and it makes it easy host your videos on your webpage or blog. Just click on the large play button and you are good to go.
Slashdot calls it the Flickr of Video and rightly so I think!
Doctors better be careful, your video may be surreptitiously shot by patients! e.g. in this one "My Gynae". Perhaps cameraphones should now be banned from the doctor's office? :P
Some medical student (apparently who also owns a Palm for sale - a Tungsten T on eBay)with too much time on her hands also came up with "Scandalous Student Doctors" ;)
You may often need to explain to patients certain procedures and pictures and videos tell much more than words.
I think it is impressive if you whip out your PDA and play a short video clip or demo some pictures to aid in your explanation
Check out this little clip I took of a PICC using my Treo650:
The video is hosted on YouTube which seems to be a great place to upload and it makes it easy host your videos on your webpage or blog. Just click on the large play button and you are good to go.
Slashdot calls it the Flickr of Video and rightly so I think!
Doctors better be careful, your video may be surreptitiously shot by patients! e.g. in this one "My Gynae". Perhaps cameraphones should now be banned from the doctor's office? :P
Some medical student (apparently who also owns a Palm for sale - a Tungsten T on eBay)with too much time on her hands also came up with "Scandalous Student Doctors" ;)
Saturday, November 05, 2005
Skyscape connects you to Avian Flu
With the number of avian-flu cases in birds with the deadly H5N1 strain rising daily, health officials are warning of a possible pandemic in humans and world leaders are urging drug companies to speed development of a vaccine.
To help ensure you stay up-to-date with important developments on avian influenza, Skyscape has updated their FREE .911™ Resource (download .911 now) to incorporate the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) on the viruses, recent outbreaks and the risks to human health.
To help ensure you stay up-to-date with important developments on avian influenza, Skyscape has updated their FREE .911™ Resource (download .911 now) to incorporate the latest information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) on the viruses, recent outbreaks and the risks to human health.
Move over iPods, here comes the HeartPod
Interesting story from Gizmodo
If you are looking for old Handspring Visors, then you're out of luck as someone has bought them all!
"So they bought up every last Handspring Visor from the junkyard they could find and slapped their software onto them. The result is the HeartPOD, a system designed to help monitor the patient via a sensor implated into the heart and an old-skool Palm"
Cool. Via PalmAddicts
If you are looking for old Handspring Visors, then you're out of luck as someone has bought them all!
"So they bought up every last Handspring Visor from the junkyard they could find and slapped their software onto them. The result is the HeartPOD, a system designed to help monitor the patient via a sensor implated into the heart and an old-skool Palm"
Cool. Via PalmAddicts
Google Print
I think all this hullaballo about copyright issues and Google's new Print Search service is overblown.
I just took a look at what they have indexed and it is incredible. Just search for Stem Cell Transplant for instance and I'm amazed at the many titles it turns out.
Publishers and authors need not fear Google Print. In fact I think Google Print will do them a favor instead and help readers locate their books more easily.
I like Google services - their pages are so PDA friendly and you could search wirelessly right from your Palm literally.
Kudos to Google for yet another innovative idea.
I just took a look at what they have indexed and it is incredible. Just search for Stem Cell Transplant for instance and I'm amazed at the many titles it turns out.
Publishers and authors need not fear Google Print. In fact I think Google Print will do them a favor instead and help readers locate their books more easily.
I like Google services - their pages are so PDA friendly and you could search wirelessly right from your Palm literally.
Kudos to Google for yet another innovative idea.
Friday, November 04, 2005
More Oxford Titles
Skyscape has released a couple of updated Oxford titles:
Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine, 2nd Ed.
Published by Oxford University Press Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine is authored by Punit Ramrakha and Kevin Moore. The Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine is an up-to-date, practical and comprehensive guide to the management of the acutely ill patient. The reference relates pathophysiology to clinical features to help the reader make the diagnosis quickly. It identifies priorities for treatment and leads the reader, step-by-step, through the management of the patient while awaiting specialist help. Wherever possible, published guidelines have been incorporated to ensure that the reference reflects current, recommended management of medical emergencies, with evidence-based treatments. Details of specialist treatments are included to inform readers about the patient's likely ongoing care.
Oxford Handbook of Accident and Emergency Medicine, 2nd Ed.
Published by Oxford University Press Oxford Handbook of Accident and Emergency Medicine is authored by Jonathan Wyatt, Robin Illingworth, Michael Clancy, Phillip T Munro, and Colin Robertson. This popular Handbook provides practical, accessible guidelines on a huge range of situations that present to the A & E department, and is the essential guide for junior doctors (including candidates for examinations in Accident and Emergency Medicine), specialist nurses, paramedics, and general practitioners. The text is deliberately precise and prescriptive. It gives up-to-date step-by-step advice on presentation, investigation, diagnosis, emergency treatment and further referral for adult and pediatrics patients, important practical procedures are covered in stepwise, easy-to-follow format with line diagrams illustrating anatomical landmarks.
Looks like these two titles are worthy additions particularly for an ER Doc's PDA reference collection.
Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine, 2nd Ed.
Published by Oxford University Press Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine is authored by Punit Ramrakha and Kevin Moore. The Oxford Handbook of Acute Medicine is an up-to-date, practical and comprehensive guide to the management of the acutely ill patient. The reference relates pathophysiology to clinical features to help the reader make the diagnosis quickly. It identifies priorities for treatment and leads the reader, step-by-step, through the management of the patient while awaiting specialist help. Wherever possible, published guidelines have been incorporated to ensure that the reference reflects current, recommended management of medical emergencies, with evidence-based treatments. Details of specialist treatments are included to inform readers about the patient's likely ongoing care.
Oxford Handbook of Accident and Emergency Medicine, 2nd Ed.
Published by Oxford University Press Oxford Handbook of Accident and Emergency Medicine is authored by Jonathan Wyatt, Robin Illingworth, Michael Clancy, Phillip T Munro, and Colin Robertson. This popular Handbook provides practical, accessible guidelines on a huge range of situations that present to the A & E department, and is the essential guide for junior doctors (including candidates for examinations in Accident and Emergency Medicine), specialist nurses, paramedics, and general practitioners. The text is deliberately precise and prescriptive. It gives up-to-date step-by-step advice on presentation, investigation, diagnosis, emergency treatment and further referral for adult and pediatrics patients, important practical procedures are covered in stepwise, easy-to-follow format with line diagrams illustrating anatomical landmarks.
Looks like these two titles are worthy additions particularly for an ER Doc's PDA reference collection.
Current Essentials of Medicine, 3rd edition
Unbound medicine has announced the release of Current Essentials of Medicine, 3rd edition
 From the popular Lange series! Current Essentials of Medicine is optimized for mobile devices to bring you concise diagnosis and treatment for more than 500 medical disorders. Sharpen your clinical acumen with the Pearl included for every disorder! Completely updated throughout, this quick reference is perfect for medical students, residents, physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. New to this edition! Updated treatment recommendations. Expanded coverage of infectious diseases. Up-to-date references throughout. |
Skyscape Introduces Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry for Handheld Devices
Press release:
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – November 03, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in trusted mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of an important Psychiatry reference – Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry – formatted specially for use by healthcare providers on PDAs and smart phones.
Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry is authored by David Semple, Roger Smyth, Rajan Darjee, and Andrew McIntosh. The Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry is a new reference directed at medical students, doctors coming to psychiatry for the first time, psychiatric trainees, and other professionals who may have to deal with patients with psychiatric problems. It is written by a group of experienced psychiatrists and is designed to provide easy access to the information required by psychiatry trainees on the wards or on-call. It closely follows the familiar format of the Oxford Handbooks series, and provides coverage that is comprehensive, evidence based and practical. The content of the handbook is written in the concise, note-based style characteristic of the series.
MARLBOROUGH, MASS. – November 03, 2005 – Skyscape, Inc., the leader in trusted mobile health and medical information solutions, today announced the release of an important Psychiatry reference – Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry – formatted specially for use by healthcare providers on PDAs and smart phones.Published by Oxford University Press, Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry is authored by David Semple, Roger Smyth, Rajan Darjee, and Andrew McIntosh. The Oxford Handbook of Psychiatry is a new reference directed at medical students, doctors coming to psychiatry for the first time, psychiatric trainees, and other professionals who may have to deal with patients with psychiatric problems. It is written by a group of experienced psychiatrists and is designed to provide easy access to the information required by psychiatry trainees on the wards or on-call. It closely follows the familiar format of the Oxford Handbooks series, and provides coverage that is comprehensive, evidence based and practical. The content of the handbook is written in the concise, note-based style characteristic of the series.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)