MedRules, PDA Backup cards

OB/GYN News, May 15, 2004 by Thomas G. McLeod, Jon O. Ebbert

Featured App: MedRules (ver. 3.3) Clinical Prediction Rules

Clinical prediction aids and decision support tools have been a part of medicine for many years. Application of guidelines and algorithms in daily practice has facilitated our ability to provide both optimal and cost-effective medical care. From cardiac clearance programs to breast cancer risk assessment, these tools have found their way into the realm of handheld computing. MedRules is an excellent compendium of these tools. The program was developed by family physician Kent Willyard for Palm OS devices and first released in 2000.

This free application includes 40 evidence-based calculators and scoring systems used to provide management direction or estimate disease likelihood, prognosis, and mortality. Individual "rules" are tap-selected from the alphabetized main menu screen or the upper-right system/specialty-specific drop-down box. Patient characteristics are easily entered via check box or drop-down selection. A lower-right "Calc" button shows scoring results and clinical implications. References for each rule are displayed by tapping the upper-right question mark icon. Download this app today and play by the rules!

Accessorize: Backup Cards

If you've ever used a desktop computer, you've probably experienced the occasional system crash--often accompanied by a tragic loss of data. Regrettably, handheld computers are not immune to this potential catastrophe. Conflicting programs, corrupt files, incompatible hardware accessories, and computer viruses may precipitate a "device decompensation."

There are several ways to minimize the impact of such a crash. It's a good idea to frequently synchronize your device with a desktop computer. In the event of a PDA crash, you're only a hot-synch away from restoring your data. If you're at work or on the road when your handheld crashes, however, you're going to need an alternative solution. Most PDAs are now equipped with an expansion card slot. Although many users may fill the slot with a card to store memory-intensive references, photos, or even music files, expansion cards also provide a convenient means for system backup.

Sony handhelds and Pocket PCs include proprietary programs that back up applications and data to blank media in the expansion slot. For Palm devices, check out the Secure File PDA Backup card (available from palmOne.com and MobilePlanet.com). Third-party software such as Sprite Backup, Sunnysoft Backup Manager, and SD/CF card backup for Pocket PC (all available from Handango.com) provide similar back-up and restoration capabilities for Pocket PC devices. Pick up an expansion card today and replace the words "Fatal Exception" with "Back-up Successful"!

Surf This Site: Ectopic Brain (http://pbrain.hypermart.net)

Breaking from our (unintentional) convention of featuring only commercial handheld computing Web sites, we'd like to recommend Dr. Willyard's personal masterpiece, the Ectopic Brain (http://pbrain.hypermart.net). As noted, Dr. Willyard is a practicing family physician. He's also a Palm enthusiast and programmer with a keen eye for how this technology may be most effectively applied in the practice of medicine. He developed the site in 1998 and has diligently maintained and updated the content. Referencing the densely packed, pearl-laden notebooks found in house officer pockets nationwide, the Ectopic Brain offers a wonderfully useful collection of medical PDA (predominantly Palm OS-based) resources.

The home page presents interesting medical handheld computing news items. Dr. Willyard has included a Comment hyperlink at the bottom of each story, allowing readers to create a discussion thread out of each topic. An Archives link provides access to previous news stories. The Basics link displays helpful FAQs, buyer's guides, tips lists, tutorials, and references (both printed and online). Links to Medical Apps and Medical Files bring up a multitude of downloadable commercial and freeware reference documents, guidelines, calculators, and patient-tracking tools. Medical Links and Other Links catalog an expansive selection of personal, academic, institutional, and commercial Web sites that feature medical applications for handheld computers. No need to scan the Internet far and wide for medical Palm resources--feed your head at the Ectopic Brain!

BY THOMAS G. MCLEOD, M.D., AND JON O. EBBERT, M.D.

DR. THOMAS G. MCLEOD and DR. JON O. EBBERT are with the division of community internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Their reviews are independent evaluations, and they receive no compensation from and do not consult with the manufacturers of the products evaluated in this column.