Skyscape Survey

[Admin]

Physicians and others who use PDAs, Smartphones, and related medical decision support tools say they’re providing better and more efficient patient care as a result, according to a new survey of 2,800 medical professionals conducted by Skyscape, Inc.

In the research, a majority of medical professionals surveyed cited mobile handheld technology and related software titles and tools as a “critical” to their daily practice – and reported that the solutions enabled them to reduce potential medical errors, provide more medical care, and assist more patients, according to John Ryder, Vice President, of Skyscape, Inc.

An overwhelming 84 percent of the medical professionals surveyed reported that their personal use of PDAs and medical-related reference titles and decision software resulted in a decrease of potential medical errors, he said.

Even more, 88 percent, said they increased efficiencies in their practice through the use of the technology, with 72 percent reporting being able to provide more care in less time.

PDAs, however, are no longer just a tool of the individual physician, Ryder noted. Hospitals and educational institutions are deploying or otherwise supporting the use of handheld decision support software by doctors as well as nurses, medical students and instructors.

While 50% of US physicians are already using handheld devices, usage should continue to grow as new applications are customized to the technology, he said. As a tool in their daily practice, 70% of medical professionals in the Skyscape survey called their use of PDAs either “Important or “Critical.”

“Meanwhile, the 800-pound gorilla in the equation is the coming ‘convergence’ of a variety of currently stand-alone e-applications,” Ryder said.

In the Skyscape survey, medical professionals cited the access of drug, clinical, and drug interaction references, along with organizational information such as treatment guidelines, as their current, chief PDA-based applications.

“Expect the growth in handheld technology to be driven by a growing trend in evidence-based medicine, daily (if not hourly) updates in reference databases, and increased wireless accessibility,” Ryder said. “Combine this on-going ‘information barrage’ with the coming convergence of EMR (e-medical records) and e-prescribing on handheld devices – and we’ll see more medical professionals using PDAs more often and for more uses.”

“But more importantly, patients are welcoming the increased speed and accuracy of medical care – as well as the greater attention and overall confidence by their caregivers that handheld technology is helping to provide at the point-of-care,” Ryder said. “The bottom line is that continuing evolution of mobile handheld technology and decision support tools is resulting in better medicine.”