Should you overclock your Droid X or Droid 2?

In the past, I used to overclock all of my PDAs. I still remember the days of the old Compaq iPaq and the Palm OS PDAs. Those days seem so long ago.

So, should you overclock your Android-powered Droid 2 or Droid X? I don't think that you really need to. After all, the 1 GHz processor is sufficiently fast in my opinion. Plus, overclocking will drain your battery quicker. I also believe that there may be a risk of damaging the hardware if you overclock these Motorola phones, but I'm not sure how great that risk is.

A few years ago, I used to load custom ROMs on everything. I overclocked everything. Now, I'm mainly running stock ROMs and I'm not playing around with overclocking apps. If you're dying to overclock your Droid 2 or Droid X, you can try DX/D2 Overclocker (which is a $0.99 download).

From PDA to EDA (Enterprise Digital Assistant) Motorola MC75A0-HC

We used to use the acronym PDA for personal digital assistant. I hardly ever hear anyone refer to their mobile device as a PDA since most people now use smartphones instead of standalone PDAs.

Well, according to this story on Health IT Pulse, Motorola Inc. released the MC-75A0-HC, an enterprise digital assistant, or EDA — basically, its name for its line of ruggedized personal digital assistants (PDAs).

Here's some more information about the Motorola  MC75A0-HC Rugged Healthcare Enterprise Digital Assistant (EDA)

Take healthcare quality and patient safety to the next level with the MC75A0-HC. Easy to carry and easy to use, the MC75A0-HC is designed for life inside the hospital, able to endure everyday drops and bumps as well as disinfecting after each patient. And robust wireless application performance and wireless connectivity options allows healthcare givers to access patient records, accurately administer medication, monitor patient vital signs, place lab and pharmacy orders, view test results and more — all in just seconds anywhere inside the facility.

Doctors are still using Windows Mobile and the original Palm OS

I think that many of us know that doctors are generally late adopters of technology. So, those who got a PDA or smartphone running Windows Mobile or the original Palm OS are probably still using that same device.

Over the weekend, I got together with several physicians for lunch and dinner. During each meal, we talked about the evolving smartphone market and I saw a few physicians show me that they're still using a Windows Mobile or Palm OS smartphone (like the Treo). Most have switched to the Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry, or Google Android. However, some still tend to keep what's familiar and comfortable.

Speaking of smartphones, there are still plenty of physicians out there who are using standalone PDAs. You may still remember those devices (maybe you even had one). When will these doctors switch to a smartphone? Maybe these people are the same ones who are still using paper charts instead of electronic health records (EHRs) in their clinical practice. Doctors are creatures of habit. Plus, they're really busy, so they don't have time to play around with the latest gadgets at Best Buy or the mall. I still meet doctors who tell me that they've never seen or touched an Apple iPad.

When will you be replacing your current smartphone or PDA?

Physicians tend to get so busy that they can't keep up with modern technology. So many doctors still use old Palm OS PDAs and carry a separate cell phone! I doubt you'll see many U.S. physicians carrying old analog cell phones, but a few of them may still have some really old devices.

How often do you replace your smartphone? If you're an early adopter like me, then you're probably constantly scanning the Internet to learn about the latest and greatest gadget. If that's the case, then you'll never be satisfied. A newer, better device will always be out before your current device "dies." Some of you still using first-generation iPhones are probably waiting for an excuse to upgrade to the iPhone 3GS. Others may be waiting for the iPhone 4G (will it just be 4G, or will it be called 4GS?).

To review old and new cell phones, you may want to search sites like CNET, TestFreaks, Engadget,  iGadgetLife, or PC Magazine. However, don't base your entire decision on professional reviews since most of these reviews are written by tech-savvy users.

Smartphone trends among Sermo physicians

Sermo is an online physician community. About a year ago, someone conducted a poll of Sermo physicians and asked, "Do you use PDA/Smartphone technology?"

Interested in the breakdown of responses? It wasn't a huge study sample, but here's what we saw in the early part of 2009:

• I don't use a smartphone/PDA  31%
• PalmOS (Treo, Centro, etc) 23%
• iPhone (3G, etc) 21%
• Windows Mobile (Dell Axim, HTC Touch, Tilt, etc)  13%
• Blackberry (Storm, Bold, Curve, Pearl, etc)  10%
• Google Android (G1, etc)  3%
• Symbian (Nokia, etc)  0%

This posting closed on February 7, 2009. I wonder how the responses would vary if we repeated a similar Sermo poll this year. I'm sure we'd see fewer people saying that they don't use a smartphone/PDA and we'd see more users with Android and even some with webOS. I doubt that Symbian will ever gain traction here in the United States among medical professionals.

Save 10% on Lexi-Comp medial smartphone apps

Save 10% on all Lexi-Comp electronic products. Enter coupon code: NN310 (valid through 4/15/2010) at checkout. Visit: http://www.lexi.com/

Lexi-Comp offers bundled software packages as well as individual databases for a wide variety of PDAs and smartphones. So, whether you're still using an old PDA or you're running the newest smartphone with Google Android, you'll find something at Lexi-Comp.

Epocrates Rx for Android and webOS

Have you tried Epocrates Rx on your Google Android or Palm webOS smartphone?  The software is currently beta and you won't get any updates, but it's stable and it runs well. You can view photos of pills, check for drug-drug interactions, and use important tables and calculators. 

I know that many physicians rely on Epocrates on a daily basis. Are you one of those users? I still remember when Epocrates launched its company in 1998 and when PDAs were starting to enter the medical industry. Those were simple days of grayscale Palm Pilots and AAA batteries. Now, we have a wide selection of powerful devices like the Motorola Droid and the Palm Pre.

Doctors are still using PDAs instead of smartphones

I know it's hard to believe, but so many doctors are falling behind on the use of mobile technology. They're still using PDAs that are over 5 years old and they aren't using modern smartphones. I recently attended an educational meeting where over 300 physicians had gathered. Although many were using modern smartphones, quite a few still had PDAs running the original Palm OS or Pocket PC. I'm surprised the batteries on these devices still provide enough battery life on these devices that are over 5 years old.

My wife (a family physician in private practice) and I have both gone through a few different smartphones. Our old PDAs are in our personal museum collection. What type of PDA or smartphone does your doctor use?

Discounts at Tarascon and Skyscape

Planning on purchasing some medical apps for your smartphone or PDA? Maybe you need a robust drug reference guide or a medical text book. Perhaps you simply want a quick reference pocket guide that you can store on your smartphone. Well, both Tarascon and Skyscape offer great resources and you can take advantage of their sales right now.

• Tarascon is currently offering a 25% off Coupon: SITEWIDE2 (ends 2/19/2010)
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I have enough PDAs to create a museum

When I retire, I'm going to create a mini museum containing all my gadgets. Right now, I have enough PDAs to create a museum. Some of them were handed down to me for a variety of reasons. Plus, I have several current devices for testing purposes, so I often end up with many new and old PDAs and smartphones.

My oldest PDA probably doesn't technically qualify as a PDA. PDA means “Personal Digital Assistant” and according to Wikipedia:

The term PDA was first used on January 7, 1992 by Apple Computer CEO John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple Newton.

I have an Apple Newton for my museum. I also have a Sharp Wizard (it was called an electronic organizer) and an original Palm Pilot along with many other "first generation" PDAs. Some of my really old PDAs have dead batteries, so I don't know what I should do with them. The original Palm Pilot only required AAA batteries. The Apple Newton came with an adapter that allowed you to use AA batteries. We don't see this type of battery innovation these days, do we?

So, how many PDAs do you have and do you have enough for a museum?

Hospital-issued PDAs and smartphones

Do hospital-based residency programs still issue PDAs and smartphones? At one time, one of the major benefits associated with certain residency programs included:

• Laptop and/or PDA issued by the hospital
  

Now that most medical school graduates are probably entering residency programs with their own laptops and PDAs or smartphones, what are hospitals doing?

When my wife was in her residency at the University of Pennsylvania, they let her use a Dell laptop for 3 years. At the end of those 3 years, she had to either "buy" that laptop or she could return it to the department. We had enough computers around the house, so she simply returned her laptop.

So what are residency programs doing these days? It would seem silly to me if they're still issuing standalone PDAs to their residents who probably already have iPhones, BlackBerrys, Androids, etc. 

PDA/Smartphone requirements in medical school

Each year, the PDA/smartphone requirements within medical schools evolves. Have you noticed that trend? When I was in medical school, "PDA/smartphone" requirements simply did not exist. Today, each school has a list of mandatory or preferred PDAs and smartphones.

Why do medical students still use PDAs? Because they're so poor that they can't afford to pay for a data plan on a smartphone. Actually, most are not that poor, but some struggle to survive on Ramen noodles and cold cereal (I remember those days...)

So, how have these PDA/smartphone requirements evolved? Are medical schools all mandating the Apple iPhone or iPod touch? No. Some still require Windows Mobile. Few are hanging on to the original Palm OS. Let's face it: medical schools are not early adopters. Students may be early adopters, but the hospitals and universities are slow to implement health IT changes.

Let's take a look at a few case examples of different medical school PDA/Smartphone requirements for medical students:

University of Massachusetts Medical School (http://library.umassmed.edu/pda.cfm) 

All Class of 2011 students are required to carry and utilize a mobile device during their clinical years. Students can utilize any device they wish (e.g., iPhone/iTouch, BlackBerry, PDA, Pocket PC) but must be able to run all required resources. The library will support ONLY synchronization of the Palm T|X at its synch station

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (http://www.medstudent.ucla.edu/PDA_Resources/PDAreq-2012.cfm)

The Class of 2012 must have a PDA / Handheld computing device for the 3rd and 4th year of medical school loaded with the required software. The 3rd year starts on June 21, 2010 with Clinical Foundations. The devices listed below have been specifically selected as they run the required software. Please note that a phone, data plan, wi-fi or blutooth is NOT required.

University of Virginia (UVA) (http://www.healthsystem.virginia.edu/internet/ome/edtech/pda_recom.cfm)

All third year medical students are required to own one of the recommended mobile devices. The entire Student Source site has been optimized for iPod Touch/iPhone. For more resources see our Mobile Medicine site.

University of North Carolina (UNC) (http://www.med.unc.edu/md/computing/pdas)

The School does not require a specific brand or model, but all student PDAs must have the following specifications:
* Palm OS version 5.0 or greater, iPhone, or Windows Mobile

Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University (ECU) (http://www.ecu.edu/cs-itcs/medstudentcomputing/medicalpdarequirements.cfm)

In an effort to prepare Medical Students for their clinical experience, Brody School of Medicine is requiring 2^nd year students to purchase a PDA or Windows Mobile Smartphone at the second half of their 2^nd year. The handheld or smartphone required is a Windows Mobile device with at least 64 MB of memory. Students will be expected to sync their device wirelessly, at home or with their wireless laptops or tablets. We have chosen the Windows Mobile operating system because it integrates with our current infrastructure. The Windows Mobile device is like an extension of their laptops, therefore training should be minimal.

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ) (http://rwjms.umdnj.edu/news_publications/news_release/student_mobility.html)

This fall all entering medical school students at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School were required to have an iPod Touch or iPhone as well as a laptop computer. The medical school introduced a mobility initiative designed to integrate electronic content including images, audio, video, and other digital assets and make it available through mobile technologies.

Indiana University School of Medicine (http://msa.iusm.iu.edu/Technology/pdaspec20092010.asp)

The 2009-2010 PDA recommendation is the HP iPAQ 110 Classic (same as last year). A number of Palm OS or Windows Mobile PDAs and smartphones will also be supported. The device must have a touch screen interface. Therefore, do not purchase Windows Mobile hardware based on "Smartphone edition" since you will not be able to obtain signatures. The CERTTS system also will not function on BlackBerry devices. Windows devices will need to run Windows Mobile 2003 or later, Palm devices must be Palm OS 4 or higher.

I could go on and list many more medical schools, but I'm running out of space. I think you get the idea. Many medical schools are moving forward with the Apple iPhone or iPod touch, but some still hang on to other platforms like Windows Mobile. My prediction is that the iPhone will remain strong, but Android will be catching up (slowly, since technology changes occur slowly in the world of medicine).

Dell Mini 3i Android smartphone

Dell used to be in the PDA business. Remember the Dell Axim that ran Windows Mobile / Pocket PC? Dell is jumping back into the PDA market, but this time focusing on smartphones running Google Android. I think that's a great decision. The more Android phones we have circulating on the market, the better. That's just my opinion, but I'm sure the folks at Google would also agree.

So, the Dell Mini 3i is a new Android smartphone, but it may only be available in China and Brazil. Let's wait to see if this phone makes it to North America.

Smartphone uptake among physicians

How many physicians currently used smartphones in 2009? How will that number change in 2010? I don't think anyone will doubt that the percentage will only increase each year until we reach some type of plateau effect. However, there is still much room for growth in this area.

According to the Manhattan Research, by the year 2012, 81% of U.S. physicians will use smartphones. Currently, about 64% of physicians use PDAs/smartphones. Based on the way smartphones are evolving, the standalone PDA will become extinct fairly soon and almost everyone will be using an Internet-capable smartphone.

Data from "Physicians in 2012: The Outlook for On Demand, Mobile, and Social Digital Media" Manhattan Research

Congratulations Epocrates for 10 great years!

It's hard to believe that Epocrates is now 10 years old! I still remember downloading and installing the early version of Epocrates on my original Palm Pilot. Remember those? Grayscale screens. No memory card expansion. Simple fonts. No Wi-Fi, 3 G, or Bluetooth. Serial port connectors. AAA batteries. I could go on...

How PDAs and smartphones have evolved in 10 years! I was also a user of the Apple Newton Messagepad. I still have my Newton and miss using it, but I'm so glad that these devices have gotten smaller and more powerful.

To celebrate 10 years of Epocrates and to enjoy some great offers, visit: http://www.epocrates.com/10year

Don't use a single Epocrates account on multiple smartphones or PDAs

I recently switched smartphones. I went from an old HTC smartphone running Windows Mobile and I tried the BlackBerry Storm. Then, I switched back to my old HTC, and then I recently ordered the HTC Touch Pro running Windows Mobile. That's the phone I'm using right now.

In the midst of all this smartphone switching, I loaded Epocrates so that I could see how it runs on the BlackBerry Storm. All of this took place over several weeks and as a result, I got a note from Epocrates indicating that my account was being used on multiple devices. I quickly explained my situation and received a pleasant reply from the support folks at Epocrates.

This made me think: perhaps some medical students and residents might try to get together and "share" a single Epocrates account on multiple smartphones or PDAs (I'll refer to the iPod touch as a PDA). If you try this, you'll run into some problems. Therefore, make sure you're using your own Epocrates account on your device.

So what if you have multiple devices? I suggest you contact Epocrates support to see what they suggest. In my case, I use a Windows Mobile smartphone. I also have an Apple iPod touch, but I don't use that as a PDA. I use my iPod touch to entertain my kids during long car rides.

Epocrates is available for free, or you may wish to purchase Epocrates Rx Pro, Epocrates Essentials, or some of the other upgraded software suites they offer (may not run on all smartphones).

Nokia N97

Is the Nokia N97 a good option for medical students, residents, physicians, and other healthcare professionals? Unfortunately, I'll have to say no. Why? Because it runs the Symbian S60v5 operating system. You will have a very difficult time finding any medical software for Symbian. So, unless you plan to carry a separate PDA (who does that these days?), you're much better choosing another smartphone that runs a different OS.

I really like Nokia and their products. It's a shame for the medical community to see that Nokia has been slow to adopt operating systems that are more appropriate for healthcare professionals.

Perhaps if we eventually embrace Cloud Computing and run apps on the cloud, then we won't be dependent on native apps and we won't really care that much about the operating system. Until then, we (as healthcare professionals) must use smartphones that will allow us to run critical medical apps.



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Protecting your smartphone or PDA

What type of case or cover do you use for your smartphone or PDA? I used to always use a case for my PDA, but over the last few years I've gone away from using a case. Why? Because I usually end up replacing my device after 2 years or so. It just doesn't seem to make much sense to invest in a bulky cover. I use a screen protector and that's about it. I hardly ever drop my phone, so it's not an issue to have "bump protection." If you have clumsy hands and you're prone to dropping your phone, then I would suggest that you invest in a nice protective case.

Here's a tip: if you're looking to buy a screen protector, purchase one on eBay. In fact, if you're looking for any type of cellular or mobile phone accessory, I suggest using eBay for the best prices.

Epocrates on the BlackBerry

Epocrates started out as a drug database software for handheld computers called PDAs (personal digital assistants). At the time, the dominant PDA was called the Palm Pilot and Epocrates was a free resource. Medical students, residents, and attendings who had Palm Pilots installed and used Epocrates. Epocrates was ubiquitous.

Now, the original Palm OS is dying (some may argue that it's already dead), and many healthcare professionals have switched to the Apple iPhone and BlackBerry. Some are using Windows Mobile and some even still use PDAs and standard mobile phones.

I predict that over the next few years, smartphones will dominate the healthcare industry. The Palm Pre may gain traction quickly, but Android will gain popularity too. So where does that leave BlackBerry? If BlackBerry continues producing devices that leverage the touch screen interface, then Epocrates will be very usable on these devices. Image source: Wired.com

How Often Do You Get a New Smartphone?

If you’re a medical student and you’re thinking about getting a smartphone, ask yourself this question: do you love gadgets?

If the answer is "yes," then I’m willing to bet that you’ll probably end up getting a new phone when you start residency. Why? Because smartphone technology changes so quickly and you’ll want to have the latest and greatest when you make that transition into the next part of your career training.

When I was a medical student, smartphones simply didn’t exist. I used my trusty Apple Newton and many students didn’t even have a cell phone (that’s what they were called back then). Then, once I entered residency, I got a serious PDA (personal digital assistant). Once again, smartphones simply didn’t exist. Today, people get new smartphones every 1-2 years. How about you? How often do you get a new smartphone?