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Understanding usage patterns of handheld computers in clinical practice
Mathias Tschopp1, Christian Lovis, Antoine Geissbuhler
1Division of Medical Informatics, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
Proceedings. AMIA Symposium
|December 5, 2002
Summary
Physicians find handheld computers valuable, but their clinical use is understudied. This research monitored interns using mobile applications to understand usage patterns and guide future development of these clinical tools.
Area of Science:
- Clinical Informatics
- Medical Technology Adoption
- Internal Medicine Practice
Background:
- Handheld computers are increasingly prevalent in clinical settings.
- Physicians often find these devices invaluable for practice.
- However, research on their actual clinical utility and cost-effectiveness is limited.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the practical utilization of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) as clinical tools.
- To gather insights into the usage patterns of mobile applications among medical interns.
- To inform future development of handheld technology in healthcare.
Main Methods:
- A study was designed to closely monitor the use of selected handheld applications.
- A cohort of medical interns in an Internal Medicine service participated in the monitoring.
- Data was collected on the actual use of these mobile applications.
Main Results:
- Information on actual usage patterns of mobile applications was gathered.
- The study provides insights into how interns utilize handheld devices in clinical practice.
- The findings highlight the real-world application of this technology.
Conclusions:
- Monitoring actual use of mobile applications offers valuable insights.
- Understanding usage patterns is crucial for the integration of handheld technology.
- This research can help guide future developments in clinical mobile tools.