[Pocket computers. Applications for personal digital assistants, PDAs]

Abstract

In the sanitary environment there is a constant flow of all types of information; this fact obliges professionals to have at this disposition the tools which permit them to store, update, and have easy consultation access to this information. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) form part of these technologies which can improve both access to and storage of this information. In this article, the authors review some general techniques these PDAs have, as well as data bases which can be useful to professional practices in nursing. The authors carried out a bibliographical search over the years 1999-2006 and an Internet search for sites which describe the uses of PDAs. The authors found 94 useful applications which include: planning and management of nursing practices; nursing techniques and procedures; filing clinical data or clinical histories; surgical nursing care, pediatric nursing and geriatric nursing; pharmacology calculating and administration of drugs and fluid therapy; reference values for diagnostic tests; medical guides and treatment (diagnostic and treatment) and for surgical nursing; medical dictionaries; medical specialties; miscellaneous. For each reference, the authors provide a description of the content, bibliographical sources, operating system, memory requirements, cost, website, and the possibility to download a test version or a demo. The authors conclude that PDAs make available a wide range of useful applications in the distinct phases where nurses perform their duties, offering many possibilities to the user.