Author: Chris Helopoulos
Publisher: Jones and Bartlett
Reviewed by Paul Arnold, MD, MCFP, Emergency Physician, University Health Network;
Faculty, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON.
If you were considering purchasing and using a handheld computer for professional use, what would you need to know to make good choices? The Medical Professional’s Guide to Handheld Computing by Chris Helopoulos makes a noble attempt to meet the challenge.
Mr. Helopoulos is a physician assistant and the assistant director of the Barry University Physician Assistant Program. He is a firm adherent of the “less can be more” school of writing. The text is brief, with an accessible writing style that avoids technical jargon. Its chapter structure is well organized by topic. The author encourages you to dip into the book and sample it like a buffet, partaking only of what you need or want. However, it is compact enough to read in an evening. The result is a very effective and enthusiastic primer on Palm™ handheld computing for medical workers. Regrettably, it isn’t made clear until one is well into the second chapter that the author intends to focus solely on Palm™ Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), excluding Pocket PC devices altogether. This is a pity, as much of the medical software reviewed later in the book is applicable to both platforms, and Pocket PCs are a legitimate choice for health care workers.
With that said, the book addresses the needs of its target audience. Beginners will find solid suggestions and advice to help them choose a handheld. The more sophisticated user will find useful programs and medical references. The author also shares many insightful tips and tricks with a focus on medical users, making the book a useful reference tool.
The text is copiously illustrated with black and white screen shots so that the reader can gain an appreciation of what software is like during use. The illustrations lack descriptive captions but all are numbered and referenced in the text. There is no index of images.
Most of the book is devoted to exploring software. The chapter on the Palm™ built-in applications is thorough but repeats what can already be found in the Palm™ manuals. A broad range of third party programs is described, including utilities that enhance the functionality of Palm™ handheld computers. Beginners and experts alike will certainly find useful ideas and software in these chapters.
The accompanying CD has a wealth of programs, most of which date from 2003 and a few from 2002. Of course, newer versions of many of these programs have been released since the CD was prepared for publication, but the beauty of this compendium is that you can try out many programs without ransacking the Web. Updates are easily located online if a program seems promising. Note that some of the software is limited until a registration fee is paid to the developer (not the author of this book) but this won’t prevent one from thoroughly exploring the functions of most of them.
Time can be cruel to medical computing reference texts. For the most part, the author has wisely avoided detailed coverage of specific models. However, some material in this book is already out of date. For example, the author refers extensively to the defunct Handspring brand. These comments and instructions are not helpful to prospective owners. The book was also prepared before the latest versions of the Palm™ operating system were released. This is important because “hacks,” handy little utility programs that receive well-deserved attention in the book, won’t work on the newest devices.
It is also disappointing that Mr. Helopoulos neglects to mention how important it is to protect data before testing new software, in case things go awry. Backup software is one of the few important categories that aren’t included in the chapter on third party utilities. This is critically important for people who do serious work on their PDAs. There is very little discussion of patient tracking or charting SW, which is not acceptable in a guide for medical professionals. Moreover, there is no consideration of the topic of securing the data on handhelds, a particularly relevant subject in view of HIPAA and equivalent Canadian legislation regarding patient records and privacy.
A few words of caution for Canadian doctors and nurses: no mention is made of reference texts that use Canadian drug names, so the reader is required to look elsewhere for information on these products. Moreover, while the guide contains a modest glossary and an adequate index in the text, there is no index of web addresses (URLs) for the companies and software described in the book. That information is available on the CD but is poorly configured. One has to open Windows Explorer to find instructions on how to get at the software and to access the list of web sites that the author has included. This is an excellent resource but it is too well hidden.
This slim volume has some deficiencies if one is looking for help with data security or patient tracking software, but otherwise is a worthwhile tool for someone contemplating the purchase of a Palm™ handheld within the next year or so. To those interested in other handheld computer systems, this book will provide only some hints of what is possible, not what is actually available, for Pocket PC, Linux, or RIM Blackberry. Nonetheless, the guide offers substantial help to aid decision making and avoid setbacks. New or experienced PDA users will also appreciate the information about software and online resources that will enhance their use of these devices.
The reviewer has no commercial interest or conflict of interest with any developer of handheld computing equipment or software, but does publish a free monthly newsletter about Palm computing for medical professionals. The Medical Palm Review can be found online at medpalmrev.medtau.org.
