The Southern Medical Journal (SMJ) is the official, peer-reviewed journal of the Southern Medical Association. It has a multidisciplinary and inter-professional focus that covers a broad range of topics relevant to physicians and other healthcare specialists.

SMJ // Article

Editorial

The Usefulness of Personal Digital Assistants for Health Care Providers Today and in the Future

Authors: Fred Tudiver, MD, CCFP, FCFP

Abstract

During the past few years, personal digital assistants (PDAs) have become hot commodities, similarly to desktop and laptop computers and cellular telephones. Many health care providers—physicians in particular—regularly use PDAs in their everyday work. In some countries, their use has approached the saturation level of 90%. 1 Only a fraction of those physicians who report that they use a PDA actually use it in medical practice, however—typically only 26 to 28% of physicians overall. We can infer that, like many busy people, physicians use PDAs’ Microsoft Outlook-type functions outside clinical practice, for making personal appointments and using the calendar and contact information windows.

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