NurseWeek: TechStat: Finding the right digital assistant

Finding the right digital assistant

By Curtis Pond
December 11, 2000


	You've read the article. Now tell us what you think. Related Sites For an in-depth overview on nursing and digital assistants, visit www.rnpalm.com. For news about digital assistants, visit www.pdamd.com. To download free digital assistant software, visit www.healthypalmpilot. com or www.handheldmed.com Previous TechStat columns What's new in nursing technologies? What are the best ways to implement new technologies in the workplace? Privacy is King Online classes are interactive, but can leave you feeling unplugged So you want to be a know-it-all nurse?

The explosion of Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) has created a cornucopia of technology-literally. Different colored PDAs, along with the multitude of attachments that go with them, send you into a spin if you don't know what you're looking for. All the pretty colors and gadgets are inviting, but do you know what you want in a PDA?

Several brands are available to choose from-IBM, Sony, Visor, Windows, Casio and Compaq-but by far the most popular PDA platform is the Palm, whose operating system receives the most attention from PDA software developers.

"Personally, I like the Palm instead of the Windows CE," said Jason Kulaga, RN, of Visiting Nursing Services in Sacco, Maine, which develops point-of-service systems for clients using handheld computers. "The price and battery time are superior to the CE. The CEs last a day or two [in battery time], but the Palm can last a couple of months."

Kulaga, who uses a Palm IIIxe, said memory is the No.1 factor that nurses should consider when purchasing a PDA.

"Eight megabytes of RAM should be enough to keep a lot of reference documents on your handheld," Kulaga said. "I keep 10 to 15 books on mine and I have 8 megs of memory."

The Merck Manual, for example, uses 4 MB of memory. If you're using the PDA as a reference tool, plan on needing at least 8 MB. But keep in mind that file size probably will increase as more hefty reference materials are digitally transformed. You may want to go greater than 8 MBto include more documents on your handheld.

If you're interested in expandability, then the TRGpro or a Visor may be your best bet. Both are upgradeable and can hold huge amounts of memory. A Windows CE handheld usually comes equipped with at least 16 MBof memory, although much of the Windows line now boasts 32 MB.

As far as choosing between regular and color screens, Kulaga says the color handhelds are better and easier to look at, but that it's an expensive feature to have. "I don't think that cost justifies the use," Kulaga said. "You'll probably pay a couple of hundred dollars extra for a handheld with a colored screen. Applications are still being made in gray scale, so the resolution on a colored screen isn't always that great. It's kind of an unnecessary feature right now."