The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 32, Issue 4 , Pages 423-428, May 2007

Utilization of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAS) by Pediatric and Emergency Medicine Residents

Abstract presented as a poster at the annual meeting of the American Pediatric Society-Society for Pediatric Research, San Francisco, California, May 2004, and at the annual meeting of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, Orlando, Florida, May 2004.

  • Abu N.G.A. Khan, MD, MSC

      Affiliations

    • Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
    • Morgan Stanley Childrens Hospital of New York-Presbyterian, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York
    • Corresponding Author InformationReprint Address: Abu N.G.A. Khan, md, msc, 300 West 261st Street, Riverdale, NY 10471
    • ,
  • Joshua Frank, MD

      Affiliations

    • Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
    • ,
  • Rajesh Geria, MD

      Affiliations

    • Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York
    • ,
  • Steven Davidson, MD, MBA

      Affiliations

    • Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York

Received 17 December 2004; received in revised form 21 November 2005; accepted 9 August 2006. published online 14 April 2007.

Abstract 

The objective of the present study was to investigate the current personal digital assistant (PDA) usage patterns of the residents and their interest in future PDA-based applications. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among the Pediatrics (Peds) and Emergency Medicine (EM) residents in an urban teaching hospital. Data points included level of training, specialty of training, experience of use of different PDA devices, use of current software applications, and interest in future applications. A total of 60/74 (81%) eligible residents participated in the study. Palm® (Palm Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) was the most commonly used operating system (82%). Among the PDA users, 82% reported using the device several times a day, and 16% used them a few times a week. The most commonly used applications included the simple calculator (81%), drug references (80%), medical calculators (75%), electronic textbooks (66%), and schedule and contact information (42%). In addition, residents showed interest in using PDA applications for procedure logs, patient tracking, and prescription writing. No significant differences were noted in the frequency and expertise of using PDAs between the Peds and EM residents (p = 0.29). Our data show current trends of use of PDAs by Peds and EM residents and their interest for future applications.

Keywords: personal digital assistant, resident, pediatrics, emergency medicine, computer, technology

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 Computers in Emergency Medicine is coordinated by James Killeen, md, of the University of California San Diego Medical Center, San Diego, California

PII: S0736-4679(07)00213-2

doi:10.1016/j.jemermed.2006.08.020

The Journal of Emergency Medicine
Volume 32, Issue 4 , Pages 423-428, May 2007

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