PDA's - need advice

May 04, 2005 10:22 AM

by lam70

I want to buy a PDA to use it for drug reference and such in the clinical are. Do any students or CRNA's out there have any advice on a good one and also on good programs to buy for CRNA's use. I start phase II clinical in august but thought I should buy it now and spend the summer learing to use it. Thanks in advance!

lisa

swimmingduck · May 04, 2005, 11:41 AM

I am not a CRNA but I have been using a PDA for many years and now I am using it for drug reference and as a medical dictionary.

I have found that a PDA with at least 16 MB of built in memory with an expansion card/memroy stick slot to be sufficient.

Palm PDAs are easy to learn.

The other option you have is the pocket PC which is a small PC and can do the things a PC can (Palm products can too) and these aslo can be used like the Palmn PDA, Dell has a good selection.

As for the software, I am currently using Epocrates which costs about $200 a year for the subscription and is great. They also have free software which give you a drug guide and a few other things. Pep-id and lexicomp are the other PDA software provider that nurses use.

Good luck and have fun.

BigDave · May 04, 2005, 01:04 PM

Hi,

I just bought a Dell X-50 pocket PC (used to have a HP, so I'm used to Windows...never owned a Palm)

Skyscape has a few good software selections. I have 5-minute clinical consultant, A-Z drugs, anesthesia drug guide, and MGH Anesthesia handbook.

What's good about Skyscape is that they cross reference. Lets say that I look up GERD in 5-minCC. I can hit the link button and it will bridge me to the other installed programs purchased from Skyscape. So in A-Z drugs I can go straight to Zantac, Prilosec, etc.

The programs cost about $50-60 each. Handango sells the same stuff, but you do not have the ability to surf between them.

http://www.skyscape.com/estore/store.aspx?category=28

fence · May 04, 2005, 02:19 PM

I have a Dell axim and love it. I also use skyscape products and really dig the cross reference ability.

SproutRN · May 04, 2005, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by lam70

I want to buy a PDA to use it for drug reference and such in the clinical are. Do any students or CRNA's out there have any advice on a good one and also on good programs to buy for CRNA's use. I start phase II clinical in august but thought I should buy it now and spend the summer learing to use it. Thanks in advance!

lisa

My program required us to buy a Palm Pilot specifically because we keep track of our cases with the Medatrax program. I have Palm Tungsten C and like it a lot because it has a small keyboard on it which is easier to use for me.
It took me a while to learn how to use it, but not a day goes by in the clinic that I don't use it. My class purchased Lexi-Comp which is a pharmacology database plus a whole lot more!

Sprout

gravitycure · May 04, 2005, 03:30 PM

hey - i have an iPAQ 4155 by HP. i use skyscape constellation and epocrates (free version) for anesthesia info. the media player is easy to use if you know windows and it sounds great with headphones. pda ran around $400, programs $150, and 1 gb card was 180, now around $100. i recommend large memory card. (you can never have too much memory) good luck.

gc. :Melody:

CougRN · May 04, 2005, 04:02 PM

Most of the people in my program have a Tungsten 5 but most Palms will give you what you want. My recommendation for programs is go cheap. Epocrates is free and very useful. When purchasing products go to skyscape.com for them. I recommend "The manual of anesthesia practice" or TMAP. It is designed just for PDA's and has everything. It has a chapter on Co-Existing Diseases, Anesthesia Drugs and drugs related to Anesthesia, Procedures, and Critical Emergencies. It is everything wrapped into one program on costs only 50$. I think it is the most comprehensive thing you can get for your PDA. All the other programs like Mass General or Barash are available too but TMAP has all the info you are going to need at your clinical site. That's my opinion.

alitory · May 04, 2005, 04:15 PM

Where can I download this stuff??

I got a Palm Pilot Tungsten E, and I am wanting to use it in the clinical field especially for meds, I would appreciate any info on the place I can go to download this to the palm, I looked on the Davis drug guide website but wasnt able to find anything??

Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Alison

TraumaNurse · May 04, 2005, 04:53 PM

I needed a new PDA for CRNA school when my Clie' died, so I purchased the Palm Tungsten E. It was affordable, fast and has plenty of memory with the card.
I agree with CougRN, TMAP is the most useful program I have. I use it EVERY day in the OR. I also use 5min Clinical Consult and a drug reference. You can find at www.pocketmedicine.com
I have a couple of programs from www.skyscape.com and do use them on occassion, but TMAP is by far the most useful. IMO.
I got a great deal on the MP3 player with my Palm and I use it all the time. Having great tunes available for the library or long nights on-call is priceless!
I also use my Palm to log my cases with Typhon and can then upload when I get home. My PDA is the most useful toy I have for anesthesia school.

alitory · May 04, 2005, 05:00 PM

Originally Posted by TraumaNurse

I needed a new PDA for CRNA school when my Clie' died, so I purchased the Palm Tungsten E. It was affordable, fast and has plenty of memory with the card.
I agree with CougRN, TMAP is the most useful program I have. I use it EVERY day in the OR. I also use 5min Clinical Consult and a drug reference. You can find at www.pocketmedicine.com
I have a couple of programs from www.skyscape.com and do use them on occassion, but TMAP is by far the most useful. IMO.
I got a great deal on the MP3 player with my Palm and I use it all the time. Having great tunes available for the library or long nights on-call is priceless!
I also use my Palm to log my cases with Typhon and can then upload when I get home. My PDA is the most useful toy I have for anesthesia school.

great thank you so much for the info I appreciate your help!!

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PDA's - need advice

PDA's - need advice

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