MD Visit

MD Visit 5.0 has been released as freeware

MD Visit™ is a Palm OS™ based application designed by physicians for physicians to support coding and compliance at the point-of-care. Capturing patient charges at the point of care not only improves revenue and cash flow it also improves billing accuracy thereby minimizing fraud and abuse potential. MD Visit incorporates over 7 years of improvements and enhancements reflecting our users’ needs and suggestions. In the palm of your hand you can easily create and manage patient lists and accurate charges for each encounter making MD Visit a valuable tool for all physicians.

Essentials of Diagnosis & Treatment in Cardiology

Unbound Medicine has released Essentials of Diagnosis & Treatment in Cardiology v2.2

Essentials of Diagnosis & Treatment in Cardiology includes essential information needed to diagnose and manage patients with cardiac diseases. It summarizes the diagnosis and treatment of 200 cardiac diseases, each reviewed with discussion of the only the most pertinent information including: differential diagnosis, treatment, and a clinical pearl. A must for medical students, residents, nurse practitioners, physicians assistants, and general and family practitioners.

T5 Webinar

Well, palmOne is trying to target the Healthcare market.
I received an email from palmOne informing that there will be a Webinar (a "Web seminar") on the new T5 in Healthcare, held on October 20, 2004 (10am-11am PDT). All attendees stand a chance to win a T5! Register for this event here.
Visit the palmOne Healthcare solutions site

Another Survey says.....

There's been yet another Skyscape survey of more than 1,600 medical professionals who use handheld computers conducted in August 2004. Survey respondents were
cardiologists, pediatricians, nurses or internal medicine practitioners.

From TMC.net

Respondents to the Skyscape survey stated that PDA use provides significant benefits. It improves the overall quality of patient care, by providing them the needed information to make informed decisions and reduce medical errors. Specific results include: -- Reducing Medical Errors: Internists and Pediatricians Impacted Most--Although more than 50 percent of medical professionals reported that using PDAs reduced medical errors by more than 4 percent, the most impressive reduction in medical errors were with internists and pediatricians. More than 41 percent of internists reported that using a PDA reduces medical errors by more than six percent, with 24 percent reporting a decrease of more than 10 percent. For pediatricians, more than 27 percent reported reductions of six percent or greater. -- Medical Professionals Rely on Multiple References--Medical professionals do not just rely on one reference for their PDA. More than 78 percent of survey respondents have at least three medical references on their PDA--an increase of 8 percent since December 2003. Forty-six percent of internists have five or more references and 10 percent indicated they have 10 or more references on their PDA. -- Cardiologists Use PDAs More Frequently--More than 61 percent of medical professionals use their PDAs at least six times a day. Thirteen percent of internists use their PDA 25 times or more a day. -- Drug References In High Demand--When asked how they use their PDAs, on average 88 percent of respondents indicated that they use it to check drug references. Thirty-eight percent of respondents indicated that they also use it for drug interaction checks, with cardiologists and internists the most likely to use it for that purpose. -- Peds and Clinical References Popular-- More than 75 percent of pediatricians use their PDAs for accessing clinical references, a figure more than 10 percent higher than cardiologists and nurses. -- PDAs Provide Improved Efficiency--Almost 92 percent of the doctors concluded that PDAs help them improve their efficiency.

How many medical references do you carry on your PDA?

PracticalTEE

PracticalTEE has nothing to do with golf but is actually the Skyscape version of A Practical Approach to Transesophageal Echocardiography

A Practical Approach to TEE on PDA puts detailed "how-to" information on transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) at the clinician’s fingertips in the operating room, intensive care unit, office, or any other clinical setting. Easy-to-navigate modules developed with the most advanced PDA technology provide one-click access to information on all clinically relevant topics, from physics, normal TEE examination sequence, and "knobology," through Doppler applications, congenital heart disease, and assessment of various valve pathologies. Each module includes numerous TEE echocardiographic images, labeled art, formulas, and detailed guidelines on image acquisition and interpretation.

MGHAnes

Skyscape has released MGHAnes™ which is the Skyscape version of Clinical Anesthesia Procedures of the Massachusetts General Hospital, 6th Ed.

The best-selling handbook, Clinical Anesthesia Procedures of the Massachusetts General Hospital, Sixth Edition, is now available in PDA format. This easy-to-navigate handheld reference provides instant access to current, comprehensive, concise, consistent, and clinically relevant guidelines for anesthesia procedures throughout the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative periods. Coverage includes a comprehensive, alphabetical drug appendix, adult and pediatric resuscitation guidelines, malignant hyperthermia protocols, an anesthesia machine checklist, and information on complementary and alternative medicine and end-of-life issues

T5 for the Healthcare profession

Ectopic Brain is pondering whether or not the Tungsten T5, palmOne's new baby, should be his next upgrade, finally retiring his m515.
Well I think the T5 is a fine PDA and the most interesting feature is this is the first PDA to have non-volatile Ram, meaning your data will not get lost even if your batteries run flat. Its also much larger - 256MB flashRam, over 200MB of which will be available to the user.
So is palmOne targetting the Healthcare professional with the T5? Investors.com has an article which makes one think so.

"With the Tungsten T5's flash memory, we can now offer healthcare professionals a handheld that preserves the patient and reference information, even if the device loses its charge," said Mike Lorion, vice president of business and vertical sales and marketing for palmOne. "The Tungsten T5 offers a powerful Intel processor and gives clinicians more storage capacity to hold the wide range of healthcare applications available that support them in their delivery of service at the point-of-care. It also has a large, brilliant screen that makes it easy to view and modify documents on the device."

In what I think is a faux pas, palmOne has omitted a voice recorder for the T5. I think some doctors would be upset - I personally find that having voice recording function in my PDA comes in handy at times when it is more convenient to take a Voice memo rather than a written one.
The omission of Wifi is no big deal since one can use palmOne's SD Wifi card (provided they also release the drivers for it). The T5's battery is better using a 1300mA battery compared with the T3's 900mA so it looks like this device will overcome one of the T3's weaknesses - a short battery life.
So if Ectopic Brain can live without the voice recorder, I say go for the T5. It sounds like a superb upgrade from the m515. Works with the Mac too! Otherwise, the T3 will be going for $50 less and will be a better value buy.



Further reading
Palminfocenter's T5 announcement
BrightHand's T5 article

Run and search

The LibraryJournal has an article entitled Searching on the Run which touches on using handheld devices to look up medical information.

Doctors are early adopters of PDAs, with an estimated 35–50 percent of physicians (and 80 percent of U.S. medical students) currently using them. These users are most likely to be male, in an urban community, and in training or a recent medical school graduate. They are less concerned about small screen size than memory limitations. The most common uses are for drug reference, personal scheduling, and medical calculations. I recently surveyed members of the American Academy of Pediatrics and found that about half of the respondents use a PDA—mostly for personal use. Hardly any use their PDA to download articles, but over a quarter of respondents indicated they would "definitely or probably" use a PDA in the future to search and access articles. PDAs are particularly suited to fact checking in structured information sources, such as drug or disease handbooks.

There is mention of LexisNexis for Blackberry users, as well as "Ovid, Elsevier, and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) are all targeting the medical end user on the run".
I personally find the PubMed on Tap very useful especially now that my T3 has Wifi.
So do you search and run as well? :)

Haemoncorules - PPC version?

You might be aware that I am the author of Haemoncrules - a freeware application for PalmOS. I developed this as a hobby and also because these are algorithms and formulae which I find useful in my line of work. This is a snapshot of version 1.5 which will include the FLIPI index for low grade lymphoma and also one of the warfarin dosing algorithms.
I have had some queries on a Pocket PC version. Since developing a PPC version will take more time and expense (the development software alone costs US$150), whether I do so would depend on the response to this little poll:

Vote for PPC version Are you interested in a Pocket PC Version of Haemoncrules? Yes No Would you be happy to donate (say US$5) towards the development of one? Yes No View Results

New Pacific Primary Titles

Pacific Primary Care have released:
Clinical Pediatrics 2005 v1
Clinical Dermatology 2005 v1

Point of Care

A study by Manhattan Research shows that adoption of Point-of-care techologies by Physicians (including Electronic Medical Records, PDAs and Electronic Prescribing) may be stalling. Key findings:

-Only 140,000 U.S. practicing physicians are using EMR to document clinical data today, although another 283,000 are interested in using EMR in the future. EMR use and adoption is expected to moderately grow through 2006. - Today, 235,400 U.S. practicing physicians use a PDA for professional and other uses, and about half of the non-PDA users express some level of interest in future PDA use. That said, PDA adoption by U.S. physicians is expected to experience limited growth through 2006. - Just 43,800 U.S. practicing physicians use electronic prescribing, but the vast majority is interested in future use. Physician adoption of eRx is expected to experience significant growth through 2006. However, considerable challenges remain in this market sector – namely demonstrating the value to the end user physician.

Are the barriers really that hard to overcome? I think people will utilise technology if they find it truly useful and saves time. If technology makes our daily work more cumbersome, then it will not take off.
As far as PDAs are concerned, I really don't know if it will stall. For me, a PDA for quick reference during ward rounds is indispensible. I don't know how I coped prior to the days without a PDA!

NDH05

Skyscape has released a new title NDH05™ (Nursing2005 Drug Handbook) 7.0.1

Up-to-the-minute information on over 1,000 generic and 3,500 brand-name drugs is just a click away with Nursing2005 Drug Handbook for PDA. This 25th Anniversary edition now includes Rapid Onset interactions information, calling attention to interactions that may be moderate to severe and appear within 24 hours of administration.

It's the passion

PDA users are a loyal bunch, with 85% of Microsoft Windows Mobile users and 82% of Palm OS users saying they plan to stick with the same operating system with their next purchase. That's according to a new survey from Dublin, Calif.-based AvantGo, a division of mobile technology vendor iAnywhere that offers free personalized Web sites to PDA and smartphone users. AvantGo this month polled 3,260 users for its 2004 Mobile Lifestyle survey. The number of people who plan to stay with the same operating system was the most surprising finding of the survey, which also asked users to rank important hand-held features, according to Neil Versen, senior director at AvantGo. Brand loyalty is something hospitals have to take into account as they deploy PDA applications for physicians, health care information technology executives say. "Physicians tend to be pretty passionate about the device they select and use," says Sameer Bade, M.D., assistant vice president for clinical IT strategies at MedStar Health, a Columbia, Md.-based, seven-hospital health system.

Source: Mobilehealthdata

I think that's true of PDA users in general. At any pda forum, Palm vs PPC flame wars are a common occurance. Hopefully more hospital IT personnel will take this into account before rolling out systems which support only one platform.
So are you passionate about the device you use?

Duke goes wireless with PK

Mobilehealthdata reports:

Duke University Health System in Durham, N.C., has implemented technology from Boston-based PatientKeeper Inc., enabling more than 300 clinicians to use PDAs to access clinical results wirelessly via the PatientKeeper mobile platform.

I'm getting closer now tothis scenario. I can access the hospital LIS (and clinical results) on the LAN from my clinic but I sure hope the hospital goes wireless - and I can use my Wifi enabled T3 to access lab results on the go. The system uses normal web browsers so it shouldn't be a problem for the T3's Webbrowserpro.

Screenshot: Pubmed on Tap

Now with a Wifi enable T3, I can explore more wireless apps. This is a screenshot of Pubmed on Tap which I mentioned before. It is a free application which allows you to search Pubmed directly as long as you have an Internet connection on your Palm. 

Wifi is vital

In eight outpatient clinics within Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital, nurses are wheeling IV poles outfitted with monitors and wireless PDAs into patient exam rooms. They use the technology to record patient vital signs, which are automatically sent to the hospital's electronic medical records system. The vital sign monitors, which vary by clinic, are connected to the IV poles and the PDAs. Nurses use the PDAs to enter qualifying data, such as where on a person's body a blood pressure reading was taken from, and send the information to the electronic records system.

Source: MobileHealthData

Wifi is going to be more and more important. Speculation has it that it's going to be a prominent missing feature in palmOne's up and coming new model called the T5. Brighthand has already commented that palmOne needs to "get on the Wifi bandwagon". At least palmOne has released the SD Wifi card for the T3 and Z72 models. I took the plunge and decided to get one since I have Wifi at work and at home as well so I thought it would be quite useful to me. If the T5 or whatever future model has dual wireless, I'd upgrade in a heartbeat but if not, I'll stick to my T3 thank you.

Screenshot

"Do not rely on the continuous availability of this online version of the Be-eN-eF to support clinical decisions at the point of care". I agree. Offline is better.... :) 

CMDT Online

MobileHealthData reports:

McGraw-Hill Medical Publishing has launched an online version of the medical textbook Current Medical Diagnosis & Treatment. Physicians can access the digital book at www.CMDTonline.com and download sections of the text onto PDAs. Access is free until Oct. 31, and the site will be continually updated with new information

Operating word: free - well at least until October 31. Requires you to sign up with them.
I really would like to see CMDT made available in FULL for the Palm in an easy to use format and perhaps Unbound Medicine or Skyscape should take this up.

Chemodose

Chemodose is an opensource/GPL software in alpha development which aims to "include all common dosing calculations on a single page".
Its a tiny 13kb file at the moment and it allows you to enter height, weight, creatinine and works out IBW, BSA. You enter the unit dose required (eg mg/m2) and then you get the calculated final dose.
Quite bare bones at the moment but has potential. There are no protocols incorporated at the moment.

Appraising and Applying Evidence

Robert Badgett has released version 2 of Appraising and Applying Evidence. Version 2 adds confidence intervals for all measures of risk and NNT. This freeware looks like a great way to understand and critically review medical literature. Definitely not for the first and last paragraph readers ;)

Includes a 2x2 table that accepts the usual 4 cells, but also will complete missing cells if you provide row or column totals. Has equations for diagnosis and includes Fagan nomogram. Has equations for NNT including deriving the NNT from odds ratios and adjusting the NNT for transportation across prevalences. Can perform Bayesian analyses of statistical significance. Creates evidence tables from multiple studies and exports the tables to memopad. Has epidemiology glossary with examples from classic studies.

Smartphones

What's your next PDA upgrade? Thinking of getting a smartphone.? I think the Treo600 is quite a good device but I wish they did not have the ugly antenna sticking out and more importantly it lacks Bluetooth which is important if you want to use wireless handsfree headsets with it. The Treo600 is supposed to come with Bluetooth, has a high res screen and nice backlit keys (but unfortunately still has that ugly antenna) and would be a tempting upgrade especially if you don't want to carry two devices.

PalmLoyal has this story about ImpactRx Choosing Treo 600 Smartphones

palmOne, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLMO) announced that ImpactRx, an innovative provider of market insight to the pharmaceutical industry, has purchased several hundred Treo(TM) 600 smartphones from palmOne for its longitudinal physician network. The devices will be used to collect information that is used to measure the relationship between pharmaceutical sales activities and physician prescribing behavior. A palmOne customer since 2001, ImpactRx will add the Treo 600 to its current portfolio of mobile devices, which currently includes Zire(TM) and Tungsten(TM) handhelds from palmOne. Physicians can take advantage of the Sprint nationwide high-speed network to quickly and easily download information to the ImpactRx database

As for me, I think I'll pass on smartphones for now. I don't mind carrying two devices. I prefer a bigger PDA screen and would want to see a Wifi + Bluetooth combo from palmOne (will they ever listen?)

MediLact

Skyscape has released MediLact™ 7.0.5 which is the Skyscape PDA version of Medications & Mothers' Milk 2004, 11th Ed.

Now in its eleventh edition, Medications and Mothers' Milk is a worldwide best-selling reference for evaluating medication use in breastfeeding mothers. Since its original publication in 1992, Medications and Mothers' Milk has quickly become the most comprehensive source throughout the world for professionals and for mothers seeking the best pharmacological advice on breastfeeding. The reader will find exact data on the degree of transfer of medications into human milk, the effect on mother and infant, and the relative risk to the infant. This all-inclusive reference contains the most current information available in this field including new studies and additional drug entries. Written by renowned Clinical Pharmacologist, Dr. Thomas W. Hale, Medications and Mothers' Milk provides the reader with easy to understand explanations of how drugs enter milk, their problems if any, and the relative safety of their use in breastfeeding mothers.

GFR Calculator

GFR calculator v1.0 has been released as freeware and allows you to calculate the GFR.
OK I guess if you want something handy only to work out this value, otherwise GFR and tons of other medical calculations are available with the great freebie Medcalc

Clinical Constellation Suite

Skyscape(R), Inc. (www.skyscape.com) today announced Clinical Constellation, the most comprehensive and integrated suite of decision support resources for handheld devices. Building on the success of other specialty Constellation Suites released earlier in the year, the Clinical Constellation continues the Skyscape tradition of bringing trusted and reputable information for use by clinicians at the point-of-care. Clinical Constellation offers an intuitive, all-in-one solution providing unparalleled and detailed coverage of critical information about drugs, diseases, interactions, lab information, treatment options and guidelines. The suite includes Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult, 2004 Pocket Book of Infectious Disease Therapy, The AHFS Dosing Companion, Bakerman's ABC's of Interpretive Laboratory Data, The Medical Letter's Handbook of Adverse Drug Interactions, The Guide to Popular Natural Products, ICD-9-CM classification codes, the Archimedes(TM) medical calculator and ARTbeat(TM) dynamic information channels.

Learn more about the Constellation Suite.
The whole package costs US$139.95 and it's a bargain at this price. Pity they didn't put a comprehensive drug package like A2Z Drugs - looks like a star is missing from this constellation ;)

Footbook

The Podiatric Handheld Page has a free e-book in iSilo format containing information pertaining to podiatry called the Footbook. Download it for free.

Bluefish update

Bluefish have updated their core applications BluefishRx ICD-9 5.10 and BluefishRx Prescription Writer 5.10.

BartlettID04

Skyscape has released BartlettID04™ (2004 Pocket Book of Infectious Disease Therapy, 12th Ed.)

Written by noted authority Dr. John Bartlett, this practical reference on PDA covers all relevant aspects of antibiotics. You'll receive the latest information on dosage, trade names, price, indications, interactions, use in pregnancy, and renal failure. Management guidelines given by organ system and disease category provide you with rapid access to the best available therapies. Tabular material will contain newly approved antibiotics and new recommendations for management.

Free Medical Journals

Everyone loves freebies. In case you are not aware, there are free fulltext journals you can access online and these are being promoted by The Freemedicaljournals.com website.
One of the major ones is the British Medical Journal which still is free. Colleagues still ask me how I get to read the BMJ regularly on my Tungsten T3 and I do so using the BMJ's PDA service via HighWire Press. When you sign up with Highwire you get to install a little Highwire reader app and also a conduit which updates the free subscriptions. I know I mentioned Highwirepress in one of my previous blogs but I think its worth repeating it here and post some new screenshots.

This is the starting page of the Highwire PalmOS application. You can see that I subscribe to JCO (table of contents and abstracts only - pity no full text!) and the BMJ (mostly full text)

This is the view of the BMJ contents delivered via the Highwire conduit. It's text only and no images but I'm not complaining since it's free!

FreeMedicalJournals.com claims that the NEJM provides full text for articles older than 6 months but I think this is no longer true. A great pity!! C'mon NEJM, give us a break here.......

Wilderness medicine

The Academic Emergency Medicine Online has a full text article on Field Guide to Wilderness Medicine, 2nd Edition CD-ROM PDA Software. I have no idea what the actual contents are but if you have full access, you might be interested.

Communication

Leo of MedPDA.net has some thoughts on E-mail as a way of communicating with patient.
What about you? I use my PDA and Sony-Ericsson mobile phones (I carry two with me) to keep in touch with patients. One of the phones is used solely for data communications - SMS and GPRS access. My Tungsten T3 connects with the phone wirelessly via Bluetooth - something I find very handy indeed. I can then send and receive SMS messages to/from patients. SMS messages although short are convenient and unobstrusive - they do not disturb you or demand an instant reply. In fact if my patients want to contact me directly I give out only my data phone number and tell them they can SMS me. If they wish to talk to me then I can SMS back a fixed line number for them to call when I am free. Voice calls to my data phone are greeted by a voice message saying only SMS messages are accepted as I am not free to take a call. Another great thing about SMS is the charges are very reasonable and are a great way for patients out of town (and even out of the country) to keep in touch.
Recently I have been trying out Skype which is an excellent VOIP solution for Windows (and now Mac). They have a beta version for PPCs and I sincerely hope they they'll come out with a PalmOS version in future - now that there are quite a few Wifi options in the Palm PDA world like the SD Wifi cards for the Zire 71,72 and T3; Tungsten C; Sony TH55 and UX-50 and others (e.g. using the Guyver or Enfora case). I'd rather keep my mobile number private and calling other mobile phones gives the number away (unless you have CLIR service). Using SkypeOut VOIP would help you keep your phone number private and even save costs. I have called numbers in the US, Canada and Australia and the SkypeOut sound quality is pretty good (there were early glitches but they are improving) now. Highly recommended.

If you are a Skype user and want to see a PalmOS version, vote here for one!

Ophthalmology Calculator v1.0

Ophthalmology Calculator v1.0 is available for download as Freeware.

*** IOLC****** Intraocular lens power calculator. Most common formula to calculate lens power. Input variables and press 'calculate'. If desired correction is set to 0, correction will be plano. Formula used are: Hoffer Q Haigis SRK T SRK II Holladay II Holladay I

More Skyscape releases

Skyscape has released a couple more new titles:

PCProc™ (Atlas of Primary Care Procedures)

OBGRecall™ (Obstetrics and Gynecology Recall, 2nd Ed.)

PoisonOD

Skyscape has released PoisonOD™ 7.0.7 which is the PDA version of Poisoning & Drug Overdose

The best manual on the diagnosis and treatment of poisoning and drug overdose. Thoroughly updated, this reference features extensive information summarizing toxicity and workplace exposure guidelines for over 500 industrial chemicals, and an index containing the ingredients of over 150 common commercial products. Key Features * Thoroughly updated * Current references for each monograph now included * New material on nutritional supplements * The latest on chemical and biological weapons * Up-to-date pharmacokinetic values for common drugs * Current toxicity and workplace exposure guidelines for over 500 industrial chemicals * Detailed index, with ingredients of over 150 common commercial product

Natural Standard

Handheldmed Announces the Release of Natural Standard - Reliable Alternative Medicine Information Formatted For Handheld Devices

Source

Handheldmed Inc. and Natural Standard today announced release of Natural Standard(R) for use on handheld computers and personal digital assistants. Widely considered the most authoritative and reliable reference of its kind, Natural Standard is the product of an international collaboration of top researchers and clinicians that provides impartial evidence-based information about herbs, supplements, modalities and conditions and traditional health techniques for professionals and consumers. Coupled with Handheldmed Technology, Natural Standard will for the first time be made available to mobile health professionals whenever they need it, wherever they are. Almost half of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Yet, most healthcare professionals have limited knowledge in this area, and published information is often inaccurate or supported only by manufacturers. "Natural Standard analyzes thousands of scientific studies to provide in-depth information about effectiveness, safety, interactions, pregnancy and breastfeeding precautions, pharmacology, history, and expert opinion," according to Ethan Basch, MD, a Chief Editor of Natural Standard who received his medical training at Harvard Medical School. Natural Standard includes contributors from more than 100 prestigious universities worldwide. Authors and editors are some of the most prominent experts in their respective fields, and include medical doctors, pharmacists, naturopaths, acupuncturists, chiropractors, dentists, toxicologists, nurses, and representatives from other diverse health care backgrounds. According to Dr. Harley Goldberg, a Medical Director at Kaiser Permanente, "the lack of safety and effectiveness evidence for alternative therapies has confounded physicians and the medical community... how do we know if it is safe, or if it will help? And how do we weigh the risks and benefits? Natural Standard has provided just what the doctor ordered: an easy-to-use, evidence-based review to tell us what is known, and what is not."

EmergAir

Skyscape has released EmergAir™ 7.0.5

The newly updated Second Edition of the Manual of Emergency Airway Management is now available in PDA format. Prepared by the faculty of the National Emergency Airway Management Course, this handy guide offers step-by-step instructions on techniques, drug administration, and prevention and management of complications and includes extensive coverage of difficult clinical scenarios. Easy-to-follow algorithms, diagrams, and helpful mnemonics appear throughout. Entries are templated to ensure consistent organization. Evidence-based analysis of procedures is included whenever possible. A section on implementation includes stocking the airway cart, establishing protocols, training, and skill retention.

ePocrates Essentials - Reviews

ePocrates Essentials is the suite from ePocrates which combines Epocrates Rx Pro (premium drug reference), Epocrates Dx (disease reference based on 5MCC) and Epocrates Lab (a diagnostic reference) in an easy to use, updateable and integrated format.
Would you want to pay for this package?
Well to help you in your decision are two reviews:

Review: Epocrates Essentials, A Medical Professional's Trusted Assistant (Palm Boulevard)

and

Feature - ePocrates Essentials from pdaMD.com

I must say I am tempted to upgrade ;)

Qpalm Herbs

Qpalm - Herbs 1.0 has been released

Qpalm Herbs 1.0 is a PDA application including single herbs with full color pictures and herbal formulas. Contents -> 350 single herbs pictures and descriptions (the botanical, English and pinyin versions of the name, properties, entering channels, what it does, application and special attributes.) -> In herbal formulas, 272 herbal formulas are listed according to alphabetical order or categorical order. -> Herbal Formula Pinyin Name, English name, Category, Diagnosis, Indications, Clinical Application, ID of Pattern, Caution, Ingredient (hierarchy, nature, dosage, function). Functions -> Edit Function - You can edit single herbs and herbal formulas text. ->Search Function - After searching the key word, you can see the result and click the single herbs on the list one by one to see the image and text. Also you can search in the herbal formula section. * It will cover the California State Acupuncture Licensing Exam and the National Commission for the Certification of Acupuncturists and Oriental Medicine Exams (NCCAOM).

Word processing and Contact addresses

Do you use your Palm to write letters? I do. I sometimes take my T3 and Palm Portable Keyboard with me to the ward and I'll be typing away replies to referrals or urgent medical reports.
I had a conversation with a colleague recently who uses his T3 to write alot of letters and he was lamenting the fact that he can't use PopUpNames on the T3 anymore (since it is a "hack" and hacks geenrally don't run in OS5 - this one doesn't run properly even with TealMaster). One of the most useful features of PopUpNames is the ability to create Templates with which you can Paste items from your Contacts like firstname, lastname, address directly into your Word processor. The builtin Palm addressbook is hopeless in this respect since you can only copy out one line at a time and not the whole address or contact details.
I too miss this wonderful app and sadly Mr Benc is no longer with us so it's highly unikely that PopUpNames will be updated.
Anyway I just want to share with you all I found something which can do the same thing though it does not have customisable templates. It's called Address2Memo. This app lets you copy the entire Contact details either to the Clipboard or Export it to Memo. You can quickly prune off the unwanted details in your Word Processor so it's a decent workaround. It works best with a utility like McPhling which alllows you to switch to and fro between the Word processor and Address2Memo.

Wifi and the T5

Yup, it's rumor season again as we axiously await more news of the upcoming palmOne models.
There's an interesting thread going on in 1src with purported spec and even pictures of the Tungsten|T5 which will be palmOne's next flagship PDA.
I am relieved to hear it will come with both Bluetooth and Wifi builtin. I can't live without Bluetooth since I rely on it heavily for connecting my T3 with my Bluetooth capable phones - mainly for SMS messaging and accessing the Internet via GPRS.
But I think WiFi is essential now that more places have Wifi and that includes hospitals as in this MobileHealthData article
Gosh, November seems so far away ;)

Clinical Gastroenterology

Clinical Gastroenterology 2005 v1 has been released by Pacific Primary Care.
This is another iSilo reference in their excellent series of medical e-books.

Application Description: Subjects include: constipation, acute/ chronic diarrhea, flatulance, abd pain, splenomegally, hemorrhoids, incontinence, pruritis ani, GI bleeding, hepatology, irritable bowel disease, hernias, hepatology, hepatitis, malabsorption, sprue, bacterial overgrowth, c. difficile, obstruction, GERD, H pylori, GI cancers, esophageal disorders, acute/chronic pancreatitis, belching..... Key Features: A detailed reference text that contains very easy to navigate, yet detailed workups, diagnostics, and treatments for a myriad of GI problems in the both the clinic and hospital setting.

Maine Rx

Maine Rx 2004b has been updated

Description: Maincare's Latest PDL, July 2004. The latest Elderly discount drug list 8/15/04. Don't use outdated drug information. Get Maine Rx 2004 NOW. Mainecare, Maine's Medicaid, publishes a preferred drug list (PDL)that is confusing, cumbersome and changes frequently. With Maine Rx you get the list in your Palm(tm) with updates to the list at www.hismaine.com. Version 2004b has enhanced search functions, now choose between QUICK SEARH - much faster and FULL SEARCH plus search by category. From the drug detail page see more drugs from the same category. Visit www.hismaine.com for more details. Now easily see alternative drugs in the same category and avoid filing PA forms. The new drug list also has all the criteria the state needs to approve a PA. See at a glance if your patient can even get the drug you want to use. Expanded help menu. Save space in your device RAM by moving the drug list to your memory card (if you have one).

Beers lists and Palm Databases

Beers lists has been released as Jfile databases (CSV files included so you can convert this to other database formats) courtesy of Stuart Sutton.
Taken from Stuart's readme file:
Beers list (Named here for the lists developed from criteria originally developed by Mark H. Beers, MD and first published in 1991 ) is an ever evolving list of drugs specifically felt to have risks for use in elderly individuals.
Or, better put, "potentially inappropriate medication use in adults 65 years and older in the United States."
The most recent update is at http://archinte.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/163/22/2716.pdf

There are two database files:
The file "Beers List" is the "2002 Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: Independent of Diagnoses or Conditions"
The file "Beers List2" is the "2002 Criteria for Potentially Inappropriate Medication Use in Older Adults: Considering Diagnoses or Conditions"

Speaking of databases, I am pleased that Jfile is very much alive. I was a Jfile registered user when it first was released - there was little choice as it was the only PalmOS database program back then. When HanDbase was released I was impressed by the design and relational capabilities and have since switched to HanDbase. Jfile too has since evolved but there are now quite a few other database alternatives for PalmOS such as MobileDB and even an Opensource (free) one called Pilot DB. Whichever you use, there should be accompanying tools for you to easily convert the CSV (comma separated value text) file to the appropriate PDB format. If you need help, give a shout ;)

Update: I located this article A Comparison Of Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) Database Software: A Guide To Choosing An Application For Professional Practice Data Management by David L. Cecillon CD, BSc Chem, BSc (Pharm); Robert M. Balen, B.Sc.(Pharm), Pharm.D. (J Inform Pharmacother 2003;14:500) which might interest you if you are deciding which Palm database to use. There are some nice tips and flow charts in this article which should help you in your decision making.

CancerPRA

Skyscape has released CancerPRA™ (Handbook of Cancer Risk Assessment and Prevention)

Over 50 percent of all cancers in the U.S. could be prevented. The Handbook of Cancer Risk-Assessment and Prevention is a practical guide for health care providers that can help make this a reality. Its pages are filled with information to help you reach your patients with up-to-date, engaging messages about how they can lower their cancer risk. Written for health care providers at all levels, this handbook covers in depth fourteen of the most common cancers in the U.S. -- providing for each a scientific summary of risk factors, a risk assessment tool for patients, and helpful hints to promote risk-reducing lifestyle changes. Additional sections focus specifically on five key lifestyle behaviors that lower not only the risk of cancer but also the risk of other chronic diseases. Integrated in this reference is an interactive risk assessment questionnaire for use at point-of-care. This questionnaire will aid in interviewing patients about their potential risk then display their score and offer recommendations.

I find the last bit - the use of handheld Interactive forms quite interesting and may be a novel way to interact with your patients. Hopefully more apps can utilise this feature. This app does not allow one to save the form data for individual patients or at least export it - pity, otherwise it would be a an even more useful tool.

Clinical Nephrology

Pacific Primary Care have released Clinical Nephrology 2005 v1

Application Description: Topics include: acute & chronic renal failure, edema, hypertension, acid-base physiology, hematuria, proteinuria, rhabdomyolysis, electrolytes, urinalysis, cystic diseases, cancer, RTA and more much, much more...

Haemoncrules 1.4

I have updated Haemoncrules and it's now version 1.4
In this update I have added a couple of new modules:
- CML Stage/Phase WHO
- Advanced Hodgkin Lymphoma Prognostic scoring
I have also made corrections to errors (mainly spelling mistakes) pointed out by Andrew Yee - thanks Andrew! Andrew btw, is the author of Eponyms which has it's very own web page.
Haemoncrules remains freeware but users if they "register" by sending me email will be kept informed of software updates.

USMLE S2

Skyscape has released USMLE S2.

Written by Dr. Brochert, who scored in the 99th percentile in Steps 1 and 2 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE), this new addition to The Secrets Series® provides essential questions and answers covering topics that have appeared on recent Step II exams and will enable medical students to become more confident and do very well on their test. Questions and answers cover such important areas as: taking a patient’s history, knowing the cut-off values for treating common conditions, subspecialty areas of concern, common and life-threatening conditions, health maintenance issues.

C-Tools 2.0

The American Cancer Society is looking for alpha/beta testers for it's C-Tools 2.0 program due for release in January 2005.
The are looking for residents, nurses, physician assistants, and doctors who would like to review and comment on the tools as they are created. No Palm Pilot or PDA is needed. If you want to sign up please email them here: testing@acspdasupport.com

PalmEMR

Noah of KVPUG has started an interesting thread here
Check it out.....

Hematology / Oncology Resources

Leo has posted over in MedPDA.net some links to Hematology / Oncology Resources for PalmOS and PPC (including yours truly's Haemoncrules). If anyone has more links please let me know - I am still in the process of compiling more....

ePocrates gets lactation facts right ... finally

Back in December 2003, I pointed out that ePocrates had a flaw in their drug info for prednisolone which stated that prednisolone was "Not safe for nursing infants; medication contraindicated or requires cessation of breast feeding"
I wrote to ePocrates and they replied that they would look into it.
I did not hear anything from them but I am pleased to report that they have now completely revised the lactation safety rating system:

In July, our Medical Information editors completely revised the lactation safety rating system in ePocrates Rx® and ePocrates Rx Pro™. In order to provide more clinically relevant, useful and up-to-date information, our editors consulted a variety of references, including FDA-approved package inserts, specialty references, consensus documents published by the AAP and WHO, and the primary literature. As a result of this extensive work, the single letter codes (S, S*, S? and NS) previously used have been replaced by one- or two-word ratings. To view this information, please AutoUpdate. Then select a drug, click on "Other Info" and review "Lactation". Simply tap on the underlined rating for its definition: Safe: Substantial human data demonstrates no risk/minimal risk to infant/breast milk or medication not orally bio available to infant; medication usually compatible with breastfeeding Probably Safe: Limited information in animals and/or humans demonstrates no risk/minimal risk of adverse effects to infant/breast milk; caution advised Safety Unknown: Inadequate literature available to assess risk; caution advised Safety Conditional: Unsafe in certain populations; see pkg. insert Possibly Unsafe: Available animal and/or human data demonstrates potential or actual adverse effects to infant/breast milk; consider alternatives or weigh risk/benefit Unsafe: Available data demonstrates high risk of significant adverse effects to infant/breast milk; medication contraindicated or requires cessation of breastfeeding The updated lactation safety ratings in ePocrates drug monographs provide a unique resource in an area of medication use that lacks standardization in the medical literature; currently, the FDA does not assign lactation ratings, and package inserts generally lack detailed information on the use of drugs in women who are breastfeeding their infants. We believe that the new lactation safety content from ePocrates reflects the best current information available regarding medication use while breastfeeding.

Yes and the info for prednisolone has been updated as well. Better late than never.

PocketConsult from Elsevier

Elsevier, the well known Medical and Health science publishing company has launched PocketConsult, a Medical PDA portal.



Well, I'm all for giving it a test drive since there is a chance to sample free content!

Thanks to MobileHealthData for the tip.

Clinical Urology

Pacific Primary Care has released Clinical Urology 2005

Topics include: kidney stones, acute/ chronic prostatitis, testicular masses, acute scrotal pain, urinary tract infections, pediatric conditions (hypospadias, cryptorchidism, nocturnal enuresis...), incontinence, interstitial cystitis, cancers, BPH, sexual disorders, erectile dysfunction, trauma, infertility, urinary tract infections, nocturia......

MIMS update

Received a fresh (paper) copy of MIMS today. The cover says iMIMS has a CD-LAN-PDA version. I checked up the website and the Asian PDA version is still "under development" and get this, the "prototype still being developed on pocket PC platform".
What about PalmOS, duuuh?
At least MIMS Australia has got it right and there is a PalmOS and PPC version in their Products page. Why are the folks in charge of MIMS Asia re-inventing the wheel and can't they just borrow the tools from the Aussies?

The requirements:

PDA Requirements:
Palm™ Palm OS 3.1 or higher
4MB of Memory
Pocket PC™ Windows Mobile 2003 or Pocket PC 2002 Operating System
15MB of Memory

See the difference? :P

Anyway the MIMS Australia PDA version has been updated and you can download the August update.

PG Software update

Some new releases in Palmgear:

The Surgical Intern Pocket Survival Guide
WillsEye4™ (The Wills Eye Manual, Fourth Ed.)

Athens 2004

mens sana in corpore sano

Well the ultimate in sporting events is coming up folks. Take a break from things medical and let the Olympic fever set in. This is one fever which paracetamol won't touch till the games are over ;)
Anyway I thought I'd share a database of the Athens 2004 schedule which I converted from the MobileDB version from Memoware into CSV and HanDbase format. Enjoy ;)

Clinical Womens Health

Pacific Primary Care has released the iSilo reference Clinical Womens Health 2005 v1

Topics include: contraception, infections, breast problems, pelvic pain, menopause, sexual disorders, infertility, osteoporosis, cancers and even pregnancy issues. Full of clinical pearls for practicing clinicians. An excellent text for students and residents as well

Clinical Evidence with Auto-Updates 2.2

Clinical Evidence, produced by the BMJ Publishing Group, provides a concise account of the current state of evidence on the prevention and treatment of a wide range of clinical conditions. It contains evidence related to hundreds of therapeutic and preventative interventions, derived from thousands of original studies, and presents it in a concise, easy-to-use format. Powered by CogniQ™ from Unbound Medicine With your purchase of Clinical Evidence, you get a year's access to Clinical Evidence on the PDA, a personal Web Library, and access to Unbound MEDLINE on the Web. After one year you can choose to renew, which will extend your benefits, or you can keep the Clinical Evidence content on your PDA without access to Auto-Updates or the Web features.

What will dominate?

Mobilehealthdata has this article on what handhelds will dominate in the future. It's based on John Peddie's Techwatch report.

While the report does not address health care specifically, the advances will have an impact on the industry, Peddie says. The advances won't provide enough resolution to view a diagnostic image in detail on a PDA, Peddie says. But they will improve clinicians' ability to view and vocally annotate medical records at the point of care. Speaking into a hand-held device about a change that needs to be made to a patient's chart is much easier than writing it down or typing it in, he adds.

My take is all this hype on pure PDAs becoming a dying breed and the world moving to multi-media PDAs and smartphones may be too simplistic. I think connectivity is important and going wireless will be more important as more hospitals move in that direction. I have yet to see battery technology improve to cope with the power hungry demands of multimedia, cellular telephony and wireless all in one. Fuel cells? Perhaps. We'll see....
Will you switch to a smartpohne e.g. Treo610 as your next PDA upgrade? For me it's not good enough yet. I would miss the 64MB of Ram and the larger screen a dedicated PDA has over a smartphone.

Eponyms v1.82

Andrew Yee has updated his freebie Eponyms now v1.82

Description: Rovsing's sign? Virchow's node? Here is a list of over 1,520 medical eponyms, common and obscure, with descriptions. Update Description: v1.82 (7/24/04): - Now 1520 eponyms!

More Handheldmed titles

Handheldmed continues their title release blitz on Palmgear:
American Psychiatric Association Practice Guidelines 2nd Edition
Nursing Care Plans, 4th Edition
A to Z Drug Facts from Facts and Comparisons, 2nd Edition
The 5 Minute Emergency Medicine Consult 2nd Edition
The EKG Pocket Survival Guide

Phew!

Mobile Pulse Oximeter Device for the Palm

MedicTouch™ - Mobile Pulse Oximeter Device (mPOD) is the world's first cellular SpO2 medical device. It is a unique and innovative product that combines state of the art J2ME software with best in class SpO2 sensors and a color cellular phone, to create the world's first Pulse Oximeter Cellular Device, with built-in data communications capabilities

mPOD display, in real time, heart pulse rate per minute rate, blood oxygen saturation or SpO2 and archive to record the data.

You can download the demo Mpod software.
" The mPOD patent pending device is compact, easy to use, built on world-class sensor technology and MedicTouch Algorithms all bundled in a Palm OS application. This is NOT a medical device.
mPOD application requires MedicTouch Palm SPO2 cable. Details can be seen at http://MedicTouch.net."

I think this might make an excellent home monitoring tool.
Someone posted this feedback in Freewarepalm:
***** [Aug 6, 2004] by David Smoot
I've actually seen the real hardware in my hands and the package is impressive. Multi-platform (Nokia smartphone, Palm, Palm smartphone, etc) and multi-protocol (Bluetooth and wired), this is a smart package of hardware and software.

Palmdoc's fingers are getting itchy ;)

HeartBeat v1.0

Description: With this program you can measure your heart rate. It is very simple to use: just tap the picture in the same rithm of your heart. Options: - Available in english and brazilian portuguese - Sound

HeartBeat is freeware.
Here's a suggestion for the author: if it can analyse the rhythm (regular, regularly irregular or irreguarly irregular=AF) apart from measure the rate thathat would be cool.
I also wonder if the PDA's microphone might be sensitive enough to pick up the heart sounds if you place the PDA/mic on the chest (yeah I know this would look clumsy) and the software can detect the heart rate? That would save on tapping.

Hyperbili

Hyperbili has been updated to version 1.1
This freeware helps physicians apply the AAP's recomendations for the managment of Neonatal Jaundice.
In the latest version, the author has incorporated the 2004 AAP recomendations and includes a nomogram for term newborns.

I mentioned version 1.0 back in May 2004. And no, the author Tim Allen still hasn't included a bilirubin checking module in the updated version :)

More survival guides

From Handheldmed:

The CCU Intern Pocket Survival Guide, 2nd Edition
The Oncology Intern Pocket Survival Guide

Now how did I survive Internship without all these pocket guides, heheh.

Efficiency

Ectopic Brain recently pointed out a Palm vs Pocket PC comparison. For those of you still undecided or have spent too long on the PPC camp you might be interested to know Leo of medPDA.net has just discovered how much faster it is to sync his Tungsten E compared with his PPC.
What matters to me most is efficiency. I hate wasting time looking at an "hour glass" waiting for programs to load. I want snappy responses and snappy results. My Tungsten T3 serves me very well and I dare say it is the fastest PDA in the market today. It's not about Mhz - it's the OS as well. Critics say there is no "multi-tasking" but the truth is multi-tasking several things on the PPC will slow it down to a crawl. I much prefer PalmOS' task-switching. How much can you do on a PDA-sized screen anyway?
Let's face it. Most of us doctors are impatient people. We hate to wait. We want our devices to be efficient. And in my mind, PalmOS in this respect does the job well. No contest.

Breastfeed 1.10

Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition has developed Breastfeed 1.10, a free PDA reference for supporting breastfeeding mothers.
The features include:
Approach to Early Breastfeeding, an evidence-based algorithm for evaluation and triage of breastfeeding in the first 2 weeks of life; Medications, a database of safety information on commonly used medications, together with general guidelines on safe prescribing for lactating women and references to review articles; Making Milk Is Easy, talking points for new mothers from the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition patient handout and Information on the World Health Organization 10 Steps for Baby Friendly hospitals and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes
Thanks to Ectopic Brain for the tip.

Survival guide and 500 posts

I didn't realise it till today but yesterday I made the 500th post on this blog. I started the Palmdoc Chronicles on November 21, 2002 and that makes this blog 616 days old and an average of 1.23 days per post.
Enough of blog trivia. Handheldmed has released a couple of Survival guides:

The ACLS Pocket Survival Guide
and
The Intern Pocket Survival Guide

PCGuides

Skyscape has released PCGuides 7.01 which is the PDA version of Current Practice Guidelines in Primary Care.

Pearls

Handheldmed has released some Pearls on Palmgear:

Obstetrical Pearls, 1st Edition
and
Surgical Pearls, 1st Edition

PIC on ePocrates' MCRS

News of ePocrates' Mobile Clinical Reference Suite has found it's way into this PalmInfoCenter story.
Are you an ePocrates's Suite user? I would be interested to hear your opinion/mini-review.

New titles from Handheldmed

Handheldmed has released the following in Palmgear:

Davis' Guide to IV Medications, 3rd Edition

Davis’ Guide to IV Medications is now available for your Palm or Windows CE handheld device. Access 268 intravenous drugs in a consistent, well-organized format. Each entry provides information on administration, clinical precautions, lab test considerations, pharmacological profiles, and adverse reactions for all ages of patients. Included are numerous appendices of schedules of controlled substances, tables and formulas, and various guidelines and test values. This third edition covers recent infusion control devices, and precautions for geriatric patients.

A2Z Drug Facts and Comparisons, 2nd Edition

Handheldmed’s handheld version of A to Z Drug Reference is an alphabetically organized drug reference that integrates successful drug therapy and patient care. Included is up-to-date information on more than 4,500 Rx, OTC, investigational, and orphan drugs. Drug information is indexed to allow easy access to indications, contraindication, dosage, interactions, adverse reactions, precautions, admin/storage, assessment, and education. This edition will increase your knowledge and confidence regarding the drugs you prescribe.

Nursing Care Plans, 4th Edition

This book has comprehensive guidelines for the nursing care of total patient needs. There are 112 care plans by medical disorder so students can adapt to their needs. Included are comprehensive rationales for every intervention, and covers all patient needs – physical, cultural, sexual, nutritional, and psychosocial. In addition there is updated information on herbal products, including potential interactions with prescription and OTC medications. The Handbook shows the reader how to document for government regulations and third-party payers. Included are the latest JCAHO and ANA standards, DRGs with projected mean length of stay, and uses new and revised nursing diagnoses with updated terminology

The Merck Manual of Geriatrics, 3rd Edition

The definitive title for those specializing in the care and treatment of the geriatric population. This reference will find heavy use among internists, family physicians and others who increasingly find their patient base to be aging. With contributions from over 150 leading authorities, the information is tightly edited and succinctly organized into 16 sections with 134 chapters. This current edition of The Merck Manual of Geriatrics reflects the vast amount of new information that has been learned about geriatric care since its last edition. Geriatrics and gerontology continue to be fertile ground for research, and the latest information in the field is now available instantly, at the point of care on your handheld computer or personal digital assistant running either the Palm or Windows CE operating system.

Feedback

I would like very much to get feedback from readers of this blog. This little poll would help me focus on either PDA stuff only for doctors or perhaps widen the net a little and cover all health/medically related PDA material
Do take 60 seconds and submit your feedback. Thanks!!

My Polling Box Are you a member of the medical profession? Yes No Would you like to see news and updates on PDA software Only for the medical profession/doctors Any health/medical related PDA software View Results

5MPC 2nd or 3rd Edtion??

Handheldmed has just released 5 Minute Pediatric Consult 2nd Edition in the New software section of Palmgear.
I notice however that Skyscape has the 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 3rd Edition.

So is Handheldmed releasing an outdated Edition? You have been informed...

DSM-IV: Text Revision 4th Edition

Handheldmed has released DSM-IV

The PDA version of the DSM-IV: Text Revision (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision) offers increased convenience in accessing the diagnostic criteria for the most common mental disorders. This includes a description, diagnosis, treatment and research findings. This text encompasses associated features, culture, age, and gender features, prevalence, course, and familial pattern of mental disorders. The DSM-IV is an essential up-to-date tool to promote effective diagnosis, treatment, and quality of care.

Vaccines

Skyscape has released Vaccines 7.0.3 (btw, can you really add a ™ to the name Vaccine i.e. Vaccine™??? )which is the PDA version of The Vaccine Handbook: A Practical Guide for Clinicians.

This convenient PDA reference offers practical, up-to-date guidelines on proper use of vaccines and helps clinicians answer the many questions asked by patients and parents. Users can quickly get detailed information on all vaccines currently recommended for infants and children, travelers, and individuals in special circumstances. Coverage of each vaccine includes the disease and its epidemiology, the vaccine’s efficacy and safety, and the practical questions most frequently asked. Clinicians will find answers to specific parental concerns and guidelines on problems such as allergies, breastfeeding, dosing intervals and missed vaccines, and immunocompromised individuals.

Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary

Handheldmed has released their version of Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary 19th Edition

The new 19th edition of Taber’s has more of everything that you have come to expect from the most trusted and health sciences dictionary -- more definitions, more tables, and simplified language. Taber’s defines more terms than any other health science dictionary. With approximately 56,000 terms in all, including more than 2,200 NEW terms, Taber’s 19th is the most comprehensive health science dictionary available today. Each term is carefully reviewed by a distinguished team of Health Professions and Nursing consultants to ensure that Taber’s keeps pace with the rapidly changing health care environment.

Skyscape also has the same dictionary at the same price (US$49.95) so we are spoilt for choice. I guess it boils down to which interface you prefer. Both have demo downloads so you can try before you buy.

PsychThrp

Cryptic it may sound, but Skyscape has released PsychThrp which is actually the PDA version of the Manual of Psychiatric Therapeutics, Third Ed

The newly updated Third Edition of Dr. Shader’s popular Spiral(R) Manual is now available electronically for handheld computers. On the wards, in the office, on rounds, or at the bedside, clinicians can instantly access the most up-to-date, authoritative guidelines for diagnosing and treating the full range of psychiatric disorders. Content includes complete, current information on psychotropic drugs, pharmacotherapy for children, drug interactions, and nonpharmacologic therapies. Users can quickly search a table of contents, a subject index, or a medication index and find exactly the information they need. The electronic text follows the same easy-to-scan outline format as the printed Spiral(R) Manual.

Bones Flash Cards

Medical Wizards has released Bones Flash Cards (Bryan Edwards) 1.0

Application Description: This amazing product the Bones Flash Cards uses the time tested content and images from BryanEdwards.com and displays over 295 images with substantial text content on the PDA. Bone Flash Cards are designed to guide users through the skeletal system. Each bone is illustrated in the body from head to toe, and every significant bony landmark is defined. This set of cards also includes a special chapter on joints and ligaments, and the innervation, movement, and arterial supply are denoted for each.

How I wish I had all these anatomy aids when I was a medical student. I still recall the gruelling viva session I had with that anatomy professor wielding an ulnar bone and expecting me to know what every tendon insertion point and the significance of every dent and ridge on the bone!

Pocket Guide to Diagnostic Tests

Hot on the heels of Skyscape's and ePocrates' new laboratory references comes Unbound Medicine's latest offering: Pocket Guide to Diagnostics Tests

Pocket Guide to Diagnostics Tests, 4/e for PDA provides quick, evidence-based information on the selection and interpretation of common diagnostic tests. Covering more than 350 laboratory, imaging, and microbiology tests, this handy reference is ideal for answering common questions such as: * Which test is best to diagnose, screen, or follow a certain condition? * How do I interpret an abnormal diagnostic test? * How do I collect the appropriate specimen or prepare the patient for testing? * Where can I find more information on this test in the medical literature?

Maine Rx 2004

Mainecare, Maine's Medicaid, publishes a preferred drug list (PDL)that is confusing, cumbersome and changes frequently. With Maine Rx you get the list in your Palm(tm) with free updates to the list for a year. Save space in your device RAM by moving the drug list to your memory card (if you have one). Maincare's Latest PDL, July 2004. Don't use outdated drug information. Get Maine Rx 2004 NOW. Freeware.

PIER teams with Clinical Pharmacology

News source

TAMPA, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 2004-- Agreement provides physicians with access to clinically-relevant drug data, evidence-based guidance at the point-of-care Gold Standard and the American College of Physicians (ACP) have teamed together to integrate and jointly market Clinical Pharmacology(C), the industry leading interactive drug information solution, and The Physicians' Information and Education Resource (PIER), ACP's Web- and PDA-based decision support tool for physicians. PIER, a leading point-of-care, evidence-based medical information and education resource, provides authoritative guidance to improve clinical care, covering such topics as diseases, screening and prevention, complementary and alternative medicine, ethical and legal issues, procedures, and medications. "Teaming Clinical Pharmacology with PIER arms physicians with a powerful clinical decision support tool for evidence-based guidance at the point of care, where it is most needed," said Russ Thomas, CEO of Gold Standard. "The ability to instantly access this information during the decision-making process is key to empowering physicians during the patient encounter." Under the agreement, Gold Standard will integrate PIER into its clinical information and decision support solutions, beginning with Clinical Pharmacology and Clinical Pharmacology OnHand, the Company's critically acclaimed real-time electronic drug information and medication management resources. Additionally, Gold Standard will distribute the handheld version of PIER to the 3,000 Florida Medicaid physicians utilizing the Company's wireless eMPOWERx(TM) integrated patient care system. ACP will also add Clinical Pharmacology to PIER to serve as the frontline drug resource for its physician members. "This licensing agreement goes beyond the immediate integration of PIER into our existing products and Clinical Pharmacology into theirs; it opens the door to the development of additional new joint products in the future," said Marianne Messer, Gold Standard's Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "The PIER database also creates exciting new licensing opportunities for Gold Standard; for example to electronic medical record and health information systems, as well as hospitals, academia and managed care." "PIER is one of the most robust clinical decision-making tools on the market today," said ACP Executive Vice President and CEO John Tooker, MD, MBA, FACP. "The integration of Clinical Pharmacology and PIER offers physicians an unparalleled clinical resource and access to a wide-range of relevant information to enhance patient care." Clinical Pharmacology provides up-to-date, peer-reviewed, clinically-relevant analysis on all U.S. prescription drugs - including off-label uses and dosage - as well as herbal supplements, nutritional products and new and investigational drugs. In addition to custom licensing opportunities, it is available in a variety of delivery formats, including the Internet, for organizations' intranets, and Windows CD-ROM for PCs, laptops and networks. Clinical Pharmacology OnHand, Gold Standard's mobile drug information and medication management solution, is also available for Pocket PC and Palm operating platforms. Leveraging wireless technology, Gold Standard's eMPOWERx application integrates Preferred Drug Lists (PDLs) and Clinical Pharmacology's drug information and interaction screening tools with real-time, patient-specific medication histories. It operates via a secure, wireless integrated Pocket PC/PCS phone to give participating healthcare providers point-of-care access to in-depth, patient-specific drug information and also provides electronic prescribing capabilities. Available online, for Pocket PC and Palm operating platforms and via internet-connected wireless devices, PIER is a decision support tool designed for rapid point-of-care delivery of up-to-date, evidence-based clinical information and guidance for physicians. Through PIER, physicians can currently access more than 300 modules of evidence-based clinical guidance presented in a user-friendly "drill down" format. Each module features a series of guidance statements and practice recommendations, supported by more detailed levels of pertinent rationale and evidence. About the American College of Physicians The American College of Physicians (www.acponline.org) is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include more than 116,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internists specialize in the prevention, detection and treatment of illness in adults. About Gold Standard Multimedia Tampa, Fla.-based Gold Standard is a leading developer of clinical drug information and software services. The Company's staff of highly trained healthcare professionals has extensive experience in clinical and retail pharmacy practice, electronic publishing and software development. Gold Standard's products are used by the majority of the country's largest retail pharmacy chains and consultant pharmacy organizations, over 700 hospitals, leading health information websites, in over 95 percent of U.S. pharmacy and medical schools, and by hundreds-of-thousands of healthcare professionals and consumers worldwide. Additional company information is available at www.gsm.com.

New Skyscape apps

Skyscape has listed a couple of new apps on Palmgear

RxDrugs™ (AHFS Dosing Companion) 7.0.6: RxDrugs is the one-of-a-kind handheld version of the extensively referenced, evidence-based dosing statements prepared by professional editorial staff and based on the AHFS Drug Information database, which is recognized through Federal legislation and regulation as an official compendium for information on medically accepted uses of drugs

LabTests™ 7.0.5: aka (Manual of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests, Seventh Ed.) The best-selling clinical reference on laboratory and diagnostic tests is now available in PDA format, for quick, easy point-of-care access. This handheld reference covers the full range of current tests and studies and describes each test in detail, with step-by-step instructions on correct procedure and tips for accurate interpretation. Coverage of each test includes lists of abnormal findings and disease patterns and an explanation of key indicators both before and after the test is performed. Appendices include protocols for collecting saliva, breath, nail, and hair specimens and forensic evidentiary specimens.

Plucker 1.8

In my last post about RSS on your Palm I had not upgraded my Plucker yet - it is now version 1.8 and I am pleased to report that this version supports the Tungsten T3's 320x480 so that you can read more at a glance. This is a snapshot of one of the several Medical news feeds I read on my Palm. How many of you are Plucker users? I think its great not least because it's free but also because it supports Windows, Mac and Linux. There is no memory limitation unlike Avantgo and you have the flexibility of taking with you in your PDA websites as well as RSS feeds

Site update: Google sitesearch

I have added a Google-powered site search facility for you to search thru the entire archives of The Palmdoc Chronicles. Hope you like it and please email me (link at the left) if you have problems locating previous posts or any suggestions.

PatientKeeper

PatientKeeper has recently been updated to version 3.32. The update is free to registered users. There is now a new website dedicated to PatientKeeper Personal

Update description: Improved support for color · Font customization, including support for hi-res fonts · Ability to export and import reference data from all applications · Patient List Properties are now editable · Patient List Fields are now customizable · Patient List Popup Menu contents are now customizable · Print directly to text files on expansion cards · Check-boxes in the Patient List · Improved Patient List filtering · Inclusion of more user-customization data in beamed/archived patients (e.g., H-Pickers) · Integration with several reference data application vendors including ePocrates, Skyscape, and Lexi-Comp (we should hold this announcement until we do the PR) · Support for variable/non-standard size screens (including Palm Tungsten T3, Sony NX, UX, & NR series) · Better integration across applications (e.g., ability to create new Tasks from most applications)

The Lancet Mobile Edition

The Lancet Mobile Edition is now available on your Palm or PPC PDA by subscription. The system works by using Roundpoint's mobile software solution - I gather it is very similar to Avantgo. PalmOS users require 48Kb free for the main program and 400Kb - 1.8MB additionally depending on the content. There is no mention of VFS or SD card support. PPC users require 1MB free memory (!) for Roundpoint software, plus additional space for content. Roundpoint Pocket PC content files generally range from 400KB - 5MB depending on the content.

Handbase 3.0k

I have been a happy Handbase user for a long time now and am pleased to report that DDHSoftware have finally updated it to support the T3's 320x480 screen in both portrait and landscape mode. They have also added OS5 High Density Support. The standard version comes with a free Desktop companion and the good news is that there is both a Windows and Macintosh version available. If you visit DDHSoftware's gallery, you'll see lots of Medical Handbase applets that you can download. I personally like to keep my databases like Chemotherapy protocols in Handbase.

ePocrates Introduces 'Essentials' Mobile Clinical Reference Suite

Press release

SAN MATEO, Calif., July 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ePocrates today introduced the ePocrates® Essentials integrated suite of industry-leading clinical reference applications, featuring the brand new ePocrates Lab(TM) reference and the latest versions of the ePocrates Rx Pro(TM) and ePocrates Dx(TM) references. The ePocrates Essentials system includes all of the key decision support applications -- drugs, diseases, and diagnostics -- required for today's health care professional, all seamlessly integrated at the point-of-care. "The ePocrates Essentials suite does for the clinician what Microsoft Office did for the office worker -- providing the applications needed most in an integrated suite," said Kirk Loevner, ePocrates CEO. "All of the ePocrates applications are authored from the ground up, specifically designed for mobile devices." Already, over 350,000 physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other health care professionals, including over 20 percent of U.S. physicians, subscribe to ePocrates applications. The applications provide unparalleled ease-of-use and up-to-date, trusted content which improves patient care and safety, and results in greater efficiency. Now delivery of care will be further enhanced through the ePocrates Lab diagnostic reference with information on hundreds of tests, including collection, interpretation and next steps. From the lab information, caregivers can easily tap on the ePocrates Dx tab to learn about diseases that may cause abnormal results or turn to the ePocrates Rx monographs to learn more about the drugs that might cause an abnormal result. A comprehensive, easy-to-use lab reference is indispensable for today's health care professional for several reasons. -- Each physician in the United States orders an estimated 40 lab tests every day, and new technologies and diagnostic tools are introduced at a fast pace, leaving medical professionals in need of support at the point-of-care to understand new, unfamiliar tests. -- According to the College of American Pathologists, laboratory services drive 80 percent of clinical decisions from diagnosis through therapy and prognosis. -- Nineteen percent of medical errors in a family practice office are related to lab results according to a recent study from the Robert Graham Policy Center. "In today's fast-paced, complex medical environment, clinicians need diagnostic information at their fingertips. The ePocrates Lab reference was specifically developed by practicing physicians to help PDA users interpret test results," said Robert A. Baldor, MD, FAAFP, Professor of Family Medicine & Community Health at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and Senior Managing Editor for the development of the ePocrates Lab reference. "A test description, with references for cost, CPT billing codes, normal values and collection guidelines gives a quick overview. Abnormal results are explained and suggestions for the 'next steps' to take in clarifying the diagnosis are only a click away! In addition to practicing clinicians this will be an invaluable reference for nurses, medical students and residents." Those who enjoyed a preview during beta-testing are already emphasizing the benefits of adding ePocrates Lab to their handheld arsenal. "I especially like the hot links between the modules... Overall, it's probably the most useful, best integrated set of clinical information modules that I've used thus far. It has become the most used medical app on my PDA," said Sam Wang, MD, faculty member and Associate Program Director for the community hospital based Memorial Family Practice Residency Program in Houston, Texas. Essentials Suite Product Specifications The ePocrates Rx Pro drug reference includes over 3,000 monographs including adult and pediatric dosing, contraindications and cautions and adverse reactions; an alternative medicine guide covering over 400 herbals; the MultiCheck® function capable of checking up to 30 drugs simultaneously for interactions; health plan formulary coverage and retail prices; the ePocrates ID® infectious disease treatment guide; and built-in dosing and medical math calculators. The ePocrates Dx comprehensive medical diagnostic and therapeutic reference is based on respected content from the editor of 5-Minute Clinical Consult and features over 1,200 conditions and diagnoses described in extensive detail, quick treatment reminders, signs and symptoms, differential diagnoses, medications, and more. The ePocrates Lab reference covers hundreds of diagnostic tests and panels including information on collection, preparation and cautions; pricing and Medicare reimbursement; and interpretation (disease, drug and spurious causes) and follow-up guidelines. The ePocrates Essentials suite is available for download from www.epocrates.com as either an annual or two-year, low cost subscription compatible with handheld devices using the Palm OS and synchronizing to a Windows PC. ePocrates Essentials for Pocket-PC devices will be available this fall.