Margaret Aspin
Mobile technologies include an ever growing number of small handheld tools like smart phones, PDAs , tablet PCs and media players including iPODs . So why use these in health? Well, ever tried dragging a computer around with you or having to constantly return to a desk top computer to add information, look up information, send information? The answer is so simple. Use something that is small, dependable and includes most of the things you could need. Imagine saving time, plus increasing accuracy with clinical facts.
Imagine looking up clinical information immediately on the hospital floor, in the car, in a pharmacy, visiting clients. Imagine sending information to colleagues and easily recording voice, handwriting on a screen, looking at video and catching up on some just-in-time learning as well. Yes it is all now technology, and I must say inexpensive technology to boot. Doctors travel a lot on foot in a hospital. So do a lot of other hospital workers and mobile health workers.
Mobile technologies are suited to clinical practice and learning in health as they are small, affordable and very very easy to use! There are an enormous number of software programs already unavailable for PDAs in health. Most are for Palm OS but quite a lot for Pocket PC as well. Therapeutic Guidelines is now available as a full version on PDA. The mini TG as it is called is designed for both and is designed to get the critical information to the point of care. Do a search on Google for pharmacy software for PDAs and just see how many items come up. Now try clinical software for PDAs . This is a growing market.
My attitude is, if we use these devices for work then how about we use them for learning as well? How hard is it to view a video and do some exercises, do some thinking, and communicate with others who are learning the same things as us. Combining work and learning makes good sense for people on the move. Many of us need small chunks of learning and we like to view it or hear it over again. Health professionals have something at their fingertips now that works with their working life. So it makes very good sense to use mobile technology in health. Oh and one last word. Toshiba have a prototype I saw at the Going Virtual conference in Brisbane last week. This is a tablet PC that rolls up. Yes folks a flexible screen that rolls up and you put it in your pocket. Now that's what I call a cool tool!
