An introduction to PDAs

What is a PDA? PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is a generic term used to describe a computing device that fits in the palm of your hand. Early uses of PDAs generally included a personal calendar, an address book and memos. Applications for PDAs have quickly evolved to include reference, various types of calculators and a host of data collection tools. It is even possible to receive email and surf the web from an enabled PDA. Many institutions, including the UB Medical School have recognized the importance of applications running on PDAs and have begun to invest in developing custom software for them.

Why do you need one? You need a PDA because the use of technology in medicine has evolved to include these devices. If you look around in classes and in the hospitals you will see that students, residents and attending physicians have already adopted PDAs. The medical applications they are using include Pharmacopeias or "PDA Drug Companions" that allow the look-up of drug names, dosages, costs, drug interactions and drug mechanisms. They are also using Medical Calculators for calculating everything from body surface area to IV drip rates. They might also be using Clinical Decision Tools to reference clinical prediction rules or a shots program that lists the most recent childhood immunization schedule. It's not difficult to envision a future that includes writing scripts and orders on the PDA and having that data efficiently beamed to pharmacies, nursing stations and billing offices.

Where can you get one? PDAs can be purchased at UBMicro, any major electronics and computer retailer or directly from the manufacturer. Depending on your needs, the cost of a PDA can run anywhere from $100 for basic units (date book, calendar, calculator, budget log, memo pad, etc.) to $700 for units sporting the latest bells and whistles (camera, mp3 player, movie player, thumb pad, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connectivity, etc.). Regardless of which PDA you decide to purchase, there are minimum software and hardware requirements your PDA must meet for academic use. Please refer to the Requirements, Applications, and Device sections for further information.