Hi Dorothy,
We've been looking at PDAs here in Oxford and have started to play
around with various packages and applications. Things worth looking at
include:
Avantgo channels - existing ones like Clinical Evidence as well as
creating ones from existing webpages. www.avantgo.com
Table of contents services - either from individual publishers (e.g.
the NEJM has just started to provide this) or from sites that can
provide a range of TOCs.
Dictionaries and medical textbooks via platforms such as SkyScape
http://www.skyscape.com/index/ (includes Dorlands, Taber's, and
dozens of other texts) and Medifor
https://www.medifor.com/DistWebPage/HPMedifor.htm (includes a rather
nice free anatomy book), and from individual publishers as well (for
example Lippincott).
The http://www.unboundmedicine.com trial includes a number of resources
including text from the BMJ and Clinical Evidence via their CogniQ
platform. Still waiting for the Pocket PC version though.
A number of our medical students are very interested in using PDAs (see
Gardiner M, de Pennington N, Odutola A. Medicine in the palm of your
hand. Student BMJ 2001;9:266. (August.)) and in conjunction with them
we're just about to take a look at a range of Lippincott titles and
would be happy to pass on our opinions.
Two things that I have found so far are a), you need a PDA with a lot
of memory (especially if using a PocketPC PDAs rather than a Palm) and
b), most of the products are very North American, which could be
problematic when using them in a UK context.
Good websites include www.oxfordhandhelds.co.uk, www.pdamd.com and
www.handheldmed.com
Recent articles on PDAs and libraries include:
Shipman and Morton, 2001, The new black bag: PDAs, health care and
library services, Reference Services Review, 29(3) 229-237
Arnold, 2001, Handhelds and libraries. How can libraries prepare for
the wireless and wireline needs of their patrons, users and customers?,
Serials, 14(3) 261-264
Stoddard, 2001, Handhelds in the Health Sciences Library, Medical
Reference Services Quarterly, 20(3) 75-82
We are planning to give our clinical librarians PDAs to see how useful
they are in supporting that kind of post and will pass on any useful
feedback.
I'd be happy to meet to discuss any of this.
Hope this helps,
Donald
Donald M Mackay
Enquiry Services Manager
Cairns Library
University of Oxford
01865 221939
[log in to unmask]
>>> "Husband, Dorothy" <[log in to unmask]> 2/5/02
10:59:27 AM >>>
I suspect I should know about this, but I'd be interested to klnow if
any
library people are involved in using PDAs for their clinical staff, in
hospitals or the community, to access library-type information, or
even
things like clinical guidelines. I see that OVID offer something in
this
area, but I wondered (for general interest, not particular use) if
other
systems were being developed.
Thanks
Dorothy
Dorothy Husband
Library Information Services Manager
Laxton Library
Postgraduate Medical Education Centre
Peterborough District Hospital
Thorpe Road
Peterborough
PE3 6DA
01733 874662
Fax 01733 347142
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