Thoughts on finding the right computer buddy: a moveable feast

The burgeoning supernova of medical information is rapidly overtaking the practicing physician's envelope of comprehension. More physicians by necessity are turning to automated resources as a means of amplifying the information they need to know while, at the same time, reducing the volume of technical pollution. Computers are capable of being a silent partner at your side as you talk with your patient--ready to cut to the quick and retrieve the latest information for the particular clinical problem at hand. Computers can be considered an extension of the brain. In a sense, they are silicon-based "life" forms. Virtuosity is learned from them as familiarity is gained--the same as becoming acquainted with a human stranger. This article is about one physician's solution to the problem of too much information. It's unabashedly anecdotal but we hope the reader will glean some hints while navigating through the realms of cyberspace.