Chapter 1
So, you'd like a handheld

"I can't keep track of all the pieces of paper for my job. I think I need a bigger folder."

No you don't, you need a PDA.

"Great, another Three Letter Abbreviation."

PDA stands for personal digital assistant. It is a computer that is small enough to hold in your hand, or keep in your pocket. It helps you organise all the information you need to keep track of as a doctor.

"A computer? That means it's expensive, takes ages to figure out, then it crashes."

Not necessarily. Many handhelds are quite the opposite. This is why you might have seen a few of your colleagues using them. Handhelds are already very popular in the USA. It is becoming the norm for every medical student and doctor to use one. If you don't get into the habit, you might be missing out.

"OK then, tell me more."

Handhelds are now very cheap, with prices starting at £100 ($150) for a good machine. If you want extras such as a colour screen, a camera, or even a car-navigation system, you can pay more. Nevertheless, even the cheapest model is powerful enough to handle most medical software.
They are also very simple to use. Whereas your first brush with a desktop computer was probably a painful learning experience, you will find that a handheld is very easy to pick up. You can write on one using a pen (or even your finger) and the programs are simple and clear.
Nor do handhelds crash all the time. Instead, their reliability makes them perfect for the medical setting.

"But how does this 'PDA' thing help me in my job?"

All handhelds come with the four essentials - diary, address book, to-do list and memo pad. These programs are simple and quick to use, but much more powerful than any paper organiser. For example, the to-do list can let you keep track of your jobs, and arrange them by ward, patient and most usefully, priority. The diary keeps track of all your appointments and teaching sessions. The address book includes the phone numbers of all the wards and departments in your hospital.
One way to get hold of all these numbers is a further illustration of the machine's power - a colleague can beam them to you.

'Beam?'

Beaming is the process of transferring information from one handheld to another via the machines' infra-red beams. So, when you bump into a friend who has a handheld with the information you need, just line up your machine with theirs, and ask them to beam the information you need. In a few seconds, you can have over 100 addresses copied across. Then you can beam your own addresses back to them, and so on.

"That's very caring. But can I do anything else apart from swap phone numbers?"

This is where the fun begins. There are literally thousands of programs available to allow your handheld to do extra things. These include clerking software to keep track of your patients; medical textbooks for your reference; books, music and videos for your entertainment; the latest news and journals; and games, of course. Many of these take advantage of beaming technology.

"Now you're talking. How do I get one of these machines?"

That's easy - they are on sale in most computer shops, mobile phone shops, and via the internet. The trouble is choosing from among all the models.

Your first decision is probably led by your budget. Prices start at a very reasonable £100 (about $150), but you can easily spend £600 ($900) if you are not careful. For £200 ($300) you can get a colour-screened machine that runs Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel. After that, the extra money gets you cool features, but does not affect the kind of programs you can use on it.

Your next choice is between a handheld with the Palm or Pocket PC operating system.

"I knew this was going to get technical…"

All you need to know is that there are currently two types of handheld: one works with Palm, and the other with Pocket PC. Palm machines are the cheapest and simplest to use, whereas Pocket PCs have a few extra tricks. One thing to be aware of though is that most of your colleagues will have Palm machines. That means most medical software is only available for the Palm, and beaming is easier if you have the same type as your colleagues.

Finally, you should always check before buying the handheld that it works with your main desktop or laptop computer. This is because handhelds can make a copy of all their information onto a desktop or laptop computer. It is a great feature, meaning that if anything happens to your handheld, like theft or spilling tea on it, a copy of your information is still safe.

Try doing that with your big folder of paper.

What would you like to do?