Educational Technology
Mobile Medicine
Smartphones and PDAs are not required by the School of Medicine, however many students find them useful as they progress through the M3 and M4 years. There are a wide variety of Smartphones and PDAs available from a number of cell phone providers.
According to Dr. Alistair Erskine (class of M1999), Chief Medical Information Officer for VCUHS and director of the Office of Clinical Transformation, Verizon is the wireless cellular and broadband provider of choice in the hospital. Reception is strong in the Critical Care Hospital and plans are underway to improve the reception in Stony Point, Gateway, North and Main Hospital. Through experience with the Patientkeeper Project, the hospital is moving away from Treo devices in favor of the Blackberry RIM platform. Furthermore, Verizon may drop the Palm from their lineup altogether.
Here are some links for more information about Verizon wireless.
Guide to Smart Phones and PDAs
- Smartphone vs. PDA
- Operating Systems
- Other Considerations
Smartphone vs. PDA
PDAs (personal digital assistants) typically offer the following functionality:
- Calendar
- Address book
- Notes
- Voice recording
- Camera
- Web browsing and Wireless Network Connectivity
- Music Player
Smartphones typically offer the same features, plus a mobile phone to help combine the greatest functionality in a single device. The trade-offs are in cost and usability. Smartphones tend to be slightly more expensive than PDAs. Smartphones require a monthly telephone service contract and tend to be more compact, resulting in a less elegant user interface. If possible, try several devices in person to see if you like the way they work.
Operating Systems
There are four major operating systems available for Smartphones. The Blackberry RIM, Windows Mobile, iPhone, and Palm interfaces provide a wide variety of applications and offer compatibility with Microsoft Office Documents, PowerPoints, and Excel files.
Blackberry
The Blackberry runs on the RIM Operating System and is one of the most popular Smartphone/PDA devices on the market. Learn More.
- Most Blackberry models provide a full QWERTY keyboard to better facilitate e-mailing and text messaging
- Web browsing capability
- Can be used with a wide range of service providers
- Ability to synchronize with your PC
- Some compatibility with Microsoft Office Applications and Media Player
Windows Mobile
Many Smartphones run on the Windows Mobile platform, including the HP iPaq 111. Windows Mobile devices have a familiar user interface, so it functions similarly to the Windows on your PC. Learn More.
- Easy to configure and use with a Windows-based PC
- Easy to synchronize data with Microsoft Outlook
- Compatibility with many Microsoft applications, including Windows Media Player and Microsoft Office
- Available both for Smartphones and PDAs
iPhone & iTouch
The Apple iPhone is another alternative. Learn More.
- The iPhone runs on a Mac OS-integrated operating system that can also synchronize with Windows-based PCs
- The iPhone also offers some compatibility with Microsoft Office Applications
- One drawback is that the iPhone is available exclusively through AT&T and is not supported by Verizon Wireless
- The Apple iTouch is also available. The iTouch retains most of the features of the iPhone however it does not provide cellular phone functionality.
Palm Devices
Palm devices were the mainstay for many years and tend to be less expensive than other Smartphone options. Learn More.
At this time, we recommend students avoid equipment that runs on the Palm OS. While the Palm Operating Systems do allow the user to synchronize data with their PC, Palm devices are not always user friendly and many do not offer seamless compatibility with Microsoft Office applications.
Other Considerations
Software
It is important to pick a Smartphone with a list of applications that you can benefit the most from. Each Smartphone Operating System is different, so make sure to pick a Smartphone that you feel comfortable using.
Examples of Medical Software & Compatibilities:| Palm | Blackberry | iPhone | Windows Mobile | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brain Tutor | X | |||
| Diagnosaurus | X | X | X | X |
| Epocrates RX | X | X | X | X |
| First Consult | X | X | ||
| Google Maps | X | X | X | X |
| MedCalc | X | X | X | X |
| Mobile Micromedex | X | X | ||
| QxMD Medical Caculators | X | |||
| SkyScape Clinical Consult | X | X | X | X |
Cost and data security
Smartphones and PDAs are somewhat expensive. However, remember that what is truly valuable is not the device but the data it carries. As you digitize your life and work you’ll find that you’re carrying around greater volumes of important information in a rather fragile device. Synchronize your mobile device with your PC to maintain your data securely.
Each Smartphone and PDA can be “locked” or password protected. Just like your PC, it is important to lock your portable device in the event that it is lost or stolen. A locked device will prevent unauthorized users from accessing your data and many devices will erase their contents if the password is not correctly entered within a specified number of attempts.
Note: Exclusive discounts are available to VCU SOM students for some PDA hardware and software packages. View discounts.
Mobile Medicine Bulletin Board
A mobile medicine bulletin board is available in the Student Life category of the VCU School of Medicine’s Bulletin Board. Students are encouraged to share information about handheld devices and software they have used during their M3 and M4 years. Login to the eCurriculum Web site to access the Mobile Medicine bulletin board.
