Accessing PDA information

Nurse Practitioner, Jan 2003 by Keeling, Arlene W, Snyder, Audrey, Wyatt, Tami H, Krauskopf, Patricia Biller

Practice Pointers

Many clinicians use personal digital assistants (PDAs) to access information on medical and nursing databases. PDAs allow you to locate drug information and dosages, and certain programs provide information on differential diagnoses, laboratory tests, and disease management. The following table provides a list of Internet resources for PDA applications.

PDA Intemet Resources

Portal sites

PDA Cortex (http://www.mpalm.com/)

An informative Web site that features information on health care information (nursing) and PDA use, including reviews, features, discussions, and articles.

pdaMD (http://www.pdamd.com/vertical/home.xml)

A leader in PDA and health care information that hosts articles, forums, product reviews, and a learning center.

Avantgo (http://avantgo.com/products/solutions/individuals.html)

A portal to myriad topics including health care. You can download directly into your PDA. Although the service is free, you must become a member.

Tutorial sites

How It Works (http://www.howstuffworks.com/pda.htm)

An introductory site that is particularly helpful to novice users.

Learning Center (http://www.pdamd.com/vertical/tutorials.xml)

A learning center that is helpful to novice users or those interested in PDAs.

Academic sites

University of Virginia (http://hsc.virginia.edu/hs-library/pda/home.html)

A frequently updated library page that includes Web site resources, portal links, application descriptions, discussion groups, and links to security applications.

Arizona State University (http://educ.ahsl.arizona.edu/pda/index.htm)

A library page that includes information on hardware, accessories, applications, library services, and a bibliography of PDAs in health literature and PDA grants.

You will receive $25 if your Practice Pointer is published. Send your Practice Pointer to Editorial Department, The Nurse Practitioner, via fax:215-646-1083; E-mail:dking@lww.com; or regular mail: 1111 Bethlehem Pike, P.O. Box 908, Springhouse, PA 19477-0908.

Arlene W. Keeling, RN, PhD, Audrey Snyder, RN, ACNP MSN;Tami H. Wyatt, RN, MSN; Patricia Biller Krauskopf, RN, FNP-C, MSN, Charlottesville, Va.