Utility of Palmtop Computers in a Residency Program: A Pilot Study

Background. With advancing technology and flourishing medical information on the Internet, we studied the use of palmtop (handheld) computers by internal medicine residents. Methods. At a university-community hospital consortium, nine internal medicine residents and their program director participated in an 8-month cohort pilot study using palmtop computers with desktop synchronization and Internet access capabilities. Results. After 2 months of use, the residents had found a variety of uses for palmtop computers, such as the calendar, downloading residency-provided medical information, taking lecture notes, using a spreadsheet for common formulas, Internet/MEDLINE searching with modem access, infrared file transfer, downloading call schedules, and patient tracking. At 8 months, the residents were comfortable using palmtops on a daily basis. Technical difficulties included cumbersome modem cords, incompatible platforms and difficult Internet access at times, finding analog telephone lines in the hospital, and synchronization with home computers. Conclusion. Palmtop computers are useful in the residency setting, and residents are capable of devising ways to use palmtops to suit their individual needs.