Personal Digital Assistants in Healthcare

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that today, healthcare practitioners enjoy a wide range of digital equipment that can help them provide more efficient healthcare services, including laptop computers, cellular telephones and personal digital assistants, or PDAs. The writer points out that these devices have been used in various ways by clinicians to improve their ability to deliver more timely and accurate diagnoses and treatments and it is clear that the use of these devices will continue to increase in the future. The writer provides a current snapshot of how personal digital assistants are being used in various healthcare settings, including military and government tertiary facilities and the use of PDAs on the battlefield in times of war, but with a specific focus on how PDAs are being used in nongovernmental healthcare facilities today. To this end, a critical review of the relevant peer-reviewed and scholarly literature is provided to describe the general history and evolvement of PDAs, a recapitulation of current literature and research studies, a discussion of how these devices are currently being used in the healthcare arena, and an estimation of future trends based on the foregoing descriptions. A summary of the research and relevant findings are presented in the conclusion.

Outline:
Review and Discussion
History and Evolvement of PDAs in the Healthcare Field
Current Literature and Research Studies
Application of the Area in the Healthcare Arena
Visions for the Future
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The research showed that personal digital assistants, or PDAs, are increasingly popular handheld devices that provide users with a vast array of functions and features that are particularly useful in healthcare settings. The research also showed that while PDAs are becoming smaller and more powerful, they are also becoming easier to use, but some healthcare practitioners may be reluctant to invest the time needed to learn how to use these devices efficiently today. There appears to be some good reason for this reluctance on the part of many healthcare professionals as well. Past trends suggest that PDAs, like other digital devices, may well just be interim technology that will be eventually supplanted by the ubiquitous computing environment that many observers predict will be firmly in place in the near future. In the meantime, the research was clear in showing that more and more people are using PDAs in their personal and professional lives, and healthcare providers are no exception. A few studies concerning how these devices can be used in various healthcare settings have already found their way into the peer-reviewed, organizational and military-based literature, and it is reasonable to conclude that new applications for PDAs will continue to be identified in healthcare until such a time as a superior technology emerges to replace them. Finally, the U.S. Department of Defense was shown to be a firm advocate of the use of PDAs by healthcare providers as part of its ongoing initiative to transform the battlefield into a comprehensive digital environment wherein resources can be more effectively deployed and better use of existing resources can be accomplished."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Blow, F. C., Barry, K. L., Walton, M. A. et al. (2006). The efficacy of two brief intervention strategies among injured, at-risk drinkers in the emergency department: Impact of tailored messaging and brief advice. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 67(4), 568.
• Cieslak, D. M., & Van Winkle, M. (2004). Carry your office in the palm of your hand; a pocket-size device is your computer when you're on the road. Journal of Accountancy, 198(2), 52.
• Corbett, M. L. (1996, January). Choosing the perfect PDA: Personal digital assistants help busy professionals. Black Enterprise, 26(6), 34.
• Greisler, D. S., & Jackson, J.R. (2000). The changing nature of physician power: Understanding physician power and its future. Journal of Power and Ethics, 1(4), 260.
• Jacko, J. A., & Sears, A. (2003). The human-computer interaction handbook: Fundamentals, evolving technologies, and emerging applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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