Name: Chrismarie A.

Castillanes
Year/Course: BSN II-2

Wireless Devices and PDA

What are Wireless Devices?

Wireless Devices are devices that can establish connections without the use of wires.
Any gadget that can establish a radio or infrared connection with an operational
technology network in order to gather or track data, though in certain situations it can
also be used to adjust control set points.
Examples:
 PDAs
 Palm OSR.
 Cell phones (smart phones)
 iPod touch (mp3 player)
 iPhone
 Blackberry
 Nokia
 Netbook

But now, most uses:

 Tablet
 iPad
 Laptop
 Smartwatch

What Are PDAs?

Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) ;also known as “handheld computers,” “pocket personal
computers,” and Palm Pilots, are a handheld computer that can be used to read and
send documents, emails, and other electronic media over a communications link. It can
also be used to manage personal data, including appointment scheduling, a to-do list,
and a database of names and addresses.

The term evolved from Personal Desktop Assistant, a software term for an application
that prompts or prods the user of a computer with suggestions or provides quick
reference to contacts and other lists.
PDAs, or personal digital assistants, were a precursor of smartphones and were
common in the 1990s and early 2000s. A small physical keyboard was found on most
PDAs, and some models also featured an electronically sensitive pad that could be
used to read
handwriting. The initial applications of a personal digital assistant were note-taking,
storing and retrieving schedules and address books, and scheduling. All sorts of
applications, nevertheless, were created specifically for PDAs.

These are some types of software apps used by PDA:

ePocrates
Epocrates is a well-known web-service and mobile
application used by healthcare professionals. The service
initially grew in popularity as a pharmacology reference but
more recently has expanded to include a variety of medical reference
materials. From medical calculators to adult and pediatric reference tables,
the application today spans a large variety of clinical decision support tools.

Taber’s Dictionary
Published by F.A. Taber, Taber’s Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary is
an encyclopedic medical dictionary. Since 1940, Clarence Wilbur
Taber has been with Davis Company. For libraries and lawyers,
Taber’s is a recommended medical reference book. It can be found
online, in
print, and on a variety of mobile device forms. Published in 2017, the
23rd edition includes over 1,200 photos and over 65,000 entries.

Telehealth
The delivery of healthcare services via telehealth involves a patient
and a clinician who are physically separated at the time of the
service. Many technologies, such as streaming services, the
internet, applications, video conferencing, and wireless and
landline
communications systems, can be used to provide telehealth services.

Nursing Central
Nursing Central provides comprehensive information about illnesses,
tests, medications, and procedures where and when it’s needed,
enabling nurses and students to work more effectively.
PEPID
PEPID is a resource that all medical practitioners should
know about. PEPID (Portable Emergency and Primary-care
Information Database) gives doctors access to medication
databases, dose calculators, disease profiles, and symptom checks, which helps
them save time and provide better treatment where it is most needed.

Skyscape
Over a million medical professionals worldwide rely on Skyscape®,
a leading provider of mobile solutions for healthcare professionals.
The Medical Knowledge Platform from Skyscape is a cloud-based
and
mobile clinical decision support tool that compiles trustworthy,
gold- standard medical and nursing knowledge that has been
licensed from
the top publishers and content providers worldwide.

PDA Cortex

Medisoft
The most widely used medical billing program, MEDISOFT,
provides a complete practice management solution. In
addition to being an effective scheduling and billing tool,
MEDISOFT also functions as a powerful stand-alone medical
practice
management system.

The Johns Hopkins Antibiotic Guide

Marketed as a decision-support tool that provides doctors
with knowledge on the identification and management of
infectious diseases at the site of care.
 Infectious Diseases Notes
is also a combination drug database and clinical decision support tool.

WardWatch
organizes medical records, providing reminders of information such as the
treatment regimens of patients to doctors making ward rounds.

Pendragon and Syware

provide tools for conducting research with, allowing the user to enter data into a
centralized database using their PDA.

In the 2010s, the technology industry recycled the term “personal digital assistant.” The
term now more commonly refers to software that recognizes a user’s voice and uses
artificial intelligence to respond to queries. Examples of this type of personal digital
assistant include Apple’s Siri, Microsoft’s Cortana and Amazon’s Alexa.

PDAs were largely discontinued in the early 2010s after the widespread adoption of
highly capable, in particular iOS and Android-based, smartphones.

Varieties of PDAs
The first commercially available PDA that recognized handwriting was Apple’s Newton.
The PalmPilot from Palm and the Palmtop from Hewlett-Packard were two other well-
known PDAs. A variant of Microsoft Windows known as Windows CE was available for
certain PDAs, while other models came with their own operating system or a different
one.

Functions of PDAs and Their Use in Clinical Practice

In order to facilitate personal information management, the PDA developed as an
information technology. It offers an:

1. Address book: An address book is a list that is always alphabetical and

contains fields for name, phone number, organization, email, and other
information.
2. Memo pad: This feature lets you write memos that can be synced with
another computer. Making and editing project outlines is one application.
3. Notepad: This is helpful for taking brief notes. It enables the nurse to write
with digital ink right on the screen. It is also helpful for noting notes at
continuing
 education programs, making adjustments to orders during rounds, and changing
patient conditions.
4. Date book: This tool enables the nurse to monitor their schedule on a
daily, weekly, or monthly basis.
5. Calculator: This calculator has basic functions and can perform
mathematical operations. There are calculators accessible for certain
medical calculations.
6. To-do list: This feature enables the nurse to make numerous lists and
manage daily, weekly, or monthly activities.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The following are the main advantages of PDA technology application:
• The small size of the gadget allows the student to store their learning and nursing
skills right after the clinical session.
• Clinical evaluations utilizing PDA files to document growth and performance require
less time to complete.
• PDA mobility makes it easier to finish tasks in designated places, such as
conference rooms.

Advantages
 Enhanced Accessibility ( portability, convenience, easy access to
personal information)
 Connectivity (improved organization and productivity, communication on-the-
go, and the ability to perform various tasks with specialized software
applications)
 Streamlined Organization

Disadvantages
 Usability Concerns
 Potential for Distraction
 Functional Limitations
 Financial Implications

Nurse competencies and responsibilities of the informatics nurse

 Nurses will need basic computer knowledge and experience
 Understanding of software and set up will need to be learned
 Nurses should be willing to continue their computer skills and be open to
their advantages
  The informatics nurse should be available for assistance with co-workers and
help in the training
 They should be available for questions
 Leading the way for change for current and future nurses in the use and
benefit of computer technology

Conclusion
The medical field of the future belongs to smartphones and the new devices developed
by technology. There will be fewer mistakes, better patient care, and more efficient use of
time as the most important aspect of a nurse’s day is time.
The extra processes in nursing can be removed and reduced into a single, pocket-sized
object and all in the same location.
The benefits distinctly exceed the drawbacks, all of which are already present in the
standards of care.

References
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%2C%20and%20an%20appointment%20calendar.
https://karlrufosumatra.blogspot.com/2011/05/introduction-individual-use-of.html?m=1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5c03444/
https://www.techtarget.com/searchmobilecomputing/definition/personal-digital-
assistant#:~:text=Examples%20of%20this%20type%20of,Microsoft’s%20Cortana%20and
%20Amazon’s%20Alexa.
https://medium.com/@dindaptrr/the-impact-of-application-of-pda-personal-digital-
assistant-in-health-service-in-nursing-practice-f74c4fcc5cS
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https://studycorgi.com/the-use-of-personal-digital-assistants-in-nursing/
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5c03444/
https://karlrufosumatra.blogspot.com/2011/05/introduction-individual-use-of.html?m=1
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%2C%20and%20an%20appointment%20calendar.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/23425078_The_Use_of_the_Personal_Digital_As
sistant_PDA_Among_Personnel_and_Students_in_Health_Care_A_Review#:~:text=A%20P
DA%20is%20a%20mobile,students%20in%20health%20care%20need.
https://slideplayer.com/slide/c438555/