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Results for “Computers, Handheld”

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At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed2005

Handheld computers and the 21st century surgical team: a pilot study.

BACKGROUND: The commercial development and expansion of mobile phone networks has led to the creation of devices combining mobile phones and personal digital assistants, which could prove invaluable in a clinical setting. This pilot study aimed to look at how one such device compared with the current pager system in facilitating inter-professional communication in a hospital clinical team. METHODS: The study looked at a heterogeneous team of doctors (n = 9) working in a busy surgical setting at St. Mary's Hospital in London and compared the use of a personal digital assistant with mobile phone and web-browsing facilities to the existing pager system. The primary feature of this device being compared to the conventional pager was its use as a mobile phone, but other features evaluated included the ability to access the internet, and reference data on the device. A crossover study was carried out for 6 weeks in 2004, with the team having access to the personal digital assistant every alternate week. The primary outcome measure for assessing efficiency of communication was the length of time it took for clinicians to respond to a call. We also sought to assess the ease of adoption of new technology by evaluating the perceptions of the team (n = 9) to personal digital assistants, by administering a questionnaire. RESULTS: Doctors equipped with a personal digital assistant rather than a pager, responded more quickly to a call and had a lower of failure to respond rate (RR: 0.44; 95%CI 0.20-0.93). Clinicians also found this technology easy to adopt as seen by a significant reduction in perceptions of nervousness to the technology over the six-week study period (mean (SD) week 1: 4.10 (SD 1.69) vs. mean (SD) week 6: 2.20 (1.99); p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: The results of this pilot study show the possible effects of replacing the current hospital pager with a newer, more technologically advanced device, and suggest that a combined personal digital assistant and mobile phone device may improve communication between doctors. In the light of these encouraging preliminary findings, we propose a large-scale clinical trial of the use of these devices in facilitating inter-professional communication in a hospital setting.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗
PubMed2005

Visualizing volumetric data sets using a wireless handheld computer.

We describe two extensions to the Nomadic Anatomy Viewer application that both make use of a statistical clustering analysis. In the first case the results of clustering are used to identify the geometry of the local neighborhood and provide for automated navigation along structures. In the second case the analysis is used to support a pen-based interface for interactively rendering selected portions of a volumetric data set.

Computer Simulation↗
PubMed2003

Smaller and faster: using a handheld computer to support a bedside vascular access team.

An application for a handheld computer was developed to support the Vascular Access team in an academic medical center. The development involved workflow analysis and usability testing centered on the users. The application interfaced with the desktop to generate the documentation needed for the charts and to populate the database used to track productivity, volume, outcomes, etc. Post-implementation evaluations provided feedback to validate the utility of the system to support workflow of the team.

Catheterization, Central Venous↗
PubMed2002

Use of a handheld computer by respiratory care practitioners to improve the efficiency of weaning patients from mechanical ventilation.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a handheld computer containing a unit-specific weaning protocol on the efficiency of weaning patients from mechanical ventilation. DESIGN: A prospective before-after study design with consecutive control and intervention time periods. SETTING: A medical intensive care unit of an urban teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: All patients receiving mechanical ventilation in the medical intensive care unit were eligible for study enrollment. INTERVENTIONS: Weaning of mechanical ventilation during the control period was conducted by respiratory care practitioners using a previously published protocol (n = 176). During the intervention period, respiratory care practitioners weaned patients using a handheld computer version of the same protocol (n = 176). MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: The time for the first spontaneous breathing trial to occur was significantly shorter during the intervention period compared with the control period (49.9 +/- 63.2 hrs vs. 72.5 +/- 86.9 hrs, p=.018). The percentage of patients undergoing a spontaneous breathing trial when first meeting established criteria for a spontaneous breathing trial was significantly greater during the intervention period (89.8% vs. 63.6%, p<.001). Length of stay in the intensive care unit was also significantly shorter for patients during the intervention period (6.2 +/- 7.1 days vs. 7.7 +/- 8.0 days, p=.018). CONCLUSIONS: This experience suggests that respiratory care practitioners employing a weaning protocol programmed on a handheld computer can wean patients from mechanical ventilation more efficiently compared with the use of a paper-based weaning protocol.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

The ARES test system for palm OS handheld computers.

The ARES (ANAM Readiness Evaluation System) is a cognitive testing system designed for operation on palm OS handheld computers i.e., Personal Digital Assistants (PDA). It provides an inexpensive and portable testing platform for field and clinical applications. ARES test batteries can be configured from a library of tests derived from the ANAM test system. ARES features include support of multiple users on a single PDA, a Microsoft Windows test battery authoring program, and a program for downloading, viewing, graphing, and archiving data. In validity tests, the same subjects were tested on identical ARES and conventional ANAM NeuroCog test batteries. Scores from the two platforms correlated highly, but absolute scores differed slightly. In reliability testing with the ARES Warrior battery, ARES scores were highly correlated in daily tests.

Cognition Disorders↗
PubMed2005

Use of handheld computers for assessment of prefrontal cortex function in patients with phenylketonuria.

Assessment of prefrontal brain cortex function can be helpful in treatment monitoring in patients with phenylketonuria. We aimed to assess the usefulness of computerized neuropsychological tests developed for handheld computers for this purpose. We observed worse test performance among persons with blood phenylalanine concentrations exceeding the recommended range. Use of handheld computers was assessed by patients and by doctors as interesting, not time-consuming and convenient. This method can be helpful during routine follow-up visits.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Clinical nursing instructors' use of handheld computers for student recordkeeping and evaluation.

I have found the Palm IIIc to be useful in tracking undergraduate student progress in the clinical area. Entrepreneurial thinkers continue to develop new ideas in software, so the possibilities for using these devices will only grow. Future possibilities for handheld computers include built-in Internet connections or providing students with devices to record and analyze their experiences or complete assignments. Many nurses and physicians who have learned to use handheld computers are sure they never want to go back to using paper and pen (Labkoff & O'Mahony, 1997; Wilson & Fulmer, 1998). I will continue to depend on and find new uses for this pocket-sized, yet powerful, device.

Computers, Handheld↗
PubMed2004

A pocket full of knowing--enhancing nursing practice with handheld computers.

PERIOPERATIVE NURSES are using high-tech, pocket-sized, handheld computers to perform a variety of functions and enhance nursing practice. THIS ARTICLE GIVES an introduction to handheld technology and provides feature and cost comparisons. NURSES CAN USE built-in programs to keep procedure notes, pertinent telephone numbers, and a calendar. Optional reference programs of interest to health care workers number in the hundreds.

Computer Security↗
PubMed2005

Trends in handheld computing among medical students.

The purpose of this study was to identify trends in the utilization and acceptance of handheld computers (personal digital assistants) among medical students during preclinical and clinical training. These results can be used to identify differences between preclinical and clinical users, differences between current use and idealized use, and perceived limitations of these devices.

Attitude to Computers↗