What's New

February 27, 2002

 
Here's an interesting site I just ran across. Handhelds For Doctors is maintained by U.K.-based Dr. Mohammad Al-Ubaydli, and includes useful information for beginners as well as a very nicely-done handheld buyer's guide.
posted by Kent 8:10 PM | |

February 25, 2002

 
In case you haven't heard the rumors that have been floating around lately, Palm should be announcing two new devices early next month. The m515 will purportedly replace the current m505, and should include 16MB of RAM and a new, brighter color display with variable brightness control. The exact price is unknown, but it's expected to retail for somewhere around $400. Hopefully, we'll see existing stocks of the m505 blown out at fire-sale prices once the m515 hits the shelves. The m130 is rumored to be a 65,000-color version of the grayscale m125, and at a rumored price of around $280, should make color more affordable than ever.
posted by Kent 6:34 PM | |

 
Are you a Palm "newbie"? If so, or even if you aren't, check out these handy tips courtesy of NearlyMobile. Right from their home page, you'll find links to everything from The Basics of Palm to a Palm Software Installation Guide, Hints, Tips, and Tricks, and Common New User Problems.
posted by Kent 6:23 PM | |

February 21, 2002

 
Here's a new twist on antibiotic recommendations. TheraDoc, a free service provided by MerckMedicus (also a free service), provides the clinician the ability to generate a patient-specific and disease-specific evidence-based antibiotic recommendation. The clinician can enter key patient demographic information and then by answering a series of disease specific questions, receive an antibiotic recommendation tailored to the needs of the patient. In addition to their web site, TheraDoc provides Palm OS and Pocket PC versions of their application. To download them, you first have to register with MerckMedicus. Then, click on the TheraDoc link on their home page (shown under "Clinical Tools" on the right-hand side of the screen). This will take you to the TheraDoc site. From there, first click on the graphic image (a computer display, Palm and Pocket PC device), then click on the "Downloads" button near the top of the screen. Follow the instructions to download and install the correct version of the program for your PDA. Thanks to Alvin Lin for bringing this to my attention!
posted by Kent 6:29 PM | |

February 19, 2002

 
Frustrated by constantly-changing managed care formularies? The latest version of ePocrates qRx includes new formulary information, including co-pay tiers, quantity limits, and prior authorization requirements. ePocrates qRx Formulary is currently limited to a handful of states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia and Washington) and healthplans (Aetna U.S. Healthcare, CIGNA HealthCare, National Prescription Administrators (NPA), Caremark Pharmacy Benefit Management and Express Scripts), but more are on the way. Best of all, it's still free!
posted by Kent 9:00 PM | |

February 6, 2002

 
CodeMeister, one of the best coding references around, was recently updated to include new CPT 2002 updates and lots of new ICD-9 codes. Check out the other titles in the "Meister" series while you're at it; they're great!
posted by Kent 9:56 PM | |

 
Most interns are already halfway through their first year of residency by now, but third- and fourth-year medical students might want to check out this new release from Skyscape (yes, another one...do these guys ever sleep?): The Washington Manual Internship Survival Guide. Packed with practical information and tongue-in-cheek humor (both of which are highly effective at 3:00 am), this handy guide would be a nice supplement to a more detailed and comprehensive reference. One drawback: the ACLS tables haven't made it into the Palm version yet.
posted by Kent 9:33 PM | |

February 5, 2002

 
Interested in seeing where the Palm OS platform is headed? Palm just posted an overview of the forthcoming Palm OS 5 operating system update for ARM-compliant processors. Palm OS 5 also enhances multimedia capabilities, incorporates a suite of robust security options, and expands support for wireless connections while also maintaining compatibility with existing software. You might also want to check out the Top Ten Advantages of the Palm OS, and Palm's take on Palm OS vs. Pocket PC 2002.
posted by Kent 10:57 PM | |

 
This is only tangentially related to medicine, but if you play golf (hey, you're a doctor, right?), you might like this free golf scorecard program, courtesy of the folks at AstraZenica (it's sponsored by Nexium, so you have to tolerate a brief advertisement when the program starts). A scorecard, player stats and a leader board can all be displayed and with the addition of handicapping, both gross and net scores can be tracked.
posted by Kent 10:18 PM | |

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