Current Best Practice in Using Your Psion

(Courtesy of Dr Shane McKee)

EPOC palmtops (still fondly known as "Psions") are by far the most popular palmtops in the UK and Europe, and are rapidly gaining ground in the US. Mobile access to such sophisticated computing power could revolutionise the practice of medicine, provided doctors take control and use this tool to its best advantage for the benefit of their patients.

The most coveted machine at present is the gorgeous Psion 5mx, with powerful inbuilt applications for Word Processing, Spreadsheet use, Database, Agenda management, etc. What's more, there is a vast array of high quality third party software (much of it Freeware or Shareware, more than for any other palmtop) available to further extend its functionality.

It's a shame that so many people just use their Psion as a diary and phone book - they are missing out on some serious power. A bit like owning a Ferrari, and only ever using it to go down to the shops.

You need to make the most of your investment - the rewards are enormous!

Here are some handy hints which may guide you on the path:

• Agenda management will enable you to keep track of meetings, educational sessions, clinics, To-Do lists and the like. It is sensible to keep all your appointments in one file, but to include a search term to allow you to filter out what you need. Set up a "Hospital To-Do" list in your Agenda manager, and arrange your priorities. Also, you can attach "Objects" to Agenda items, so you can use it as quite a sophisticated little information sorter.

• Data allows you to keep lists of phone numbers, patient information, diagnoses, training logs, etc. The uses are many and varied - and obvious. Be aware that in the UK the Data Protection Act may limit the patient information that you can keep on any computer system, so familiarise yourself with the regulations.

  With the Series 5mx advanced database system, you can put loads of really useful stuff in a database file - such as protocols, standard letters paragraphs, drug information, notes, etc.

  DO THIS NOW: Make a Database file called "Notes", with the fields "Topic:" (Text, 100), "Date:" (date), & "Notes:" (Memo). You can now take notes directly into your Psion instead of using paper (which after all is the whole point of having a Psion!).

• Word processing can come in handy if you have the printer cable, and access to a printer. Set up template letters for clinics, review appointments, advice sheets, etc - this speeds up the process enormously, and looks very professional when done right.

  If you have lots of fiddly little Word files, bung 'em in a Data file, to increase the ease of lookup. Then you can copy the bits you need into a blank Word template

• SpreadSheet files are just the ticket for drug dose reckoners, automatic calculation, and also for rota management and printout.
• Email & Web are very useful. Simply sneak up to the ward modem, slip in your Psion cable, and get on-line! There are lots of great medical sites, full of useful information.
• Timed alarms are lifesaving in that you can get them to simulate any bleep call to get you out of a tedious audit meeting, or away from problematic rellies ;-)

  TIP: Always have a bleep-alarm set for some time in the next half-hour.

So, as you can see, you don't even need any 3rd party software to start using your Psion to make your medical life better and more organised. In fact, my contention is that the inbuilt apps are probably adequate to service your everyday clinical needs. Having said that, if you want to get the full value from your Palmtop, there is some great software available, which deserves checking out.

Writing Medical Software for the Psion

1. If you know how to program in OPL, the door is wide open to you writing your own programs for use in your clinical practice. Here are a few tips of my own which make me find a program useful:

   Unless it's a major standalone APP, write it in OPO format, rather than making it a System-hogging OPA or APP. I mean what is the point of having a whole Extras icon devoted to some boring BMI estimator??? Make me want to give you space on my Button Bar!

   Try to keep the User Interface (menus, dialogs, etc) as close to the regular Psion ("EIKON") system as possible - this will make it less of a pain in the nether regions for your users who are already used to the Psion GUI, and will mean that people won't bother you so much with suggestions like "Why don't you make your program more like the Psion User Interface?"  Head them off at the pass, and do it right from the start.  The "Advanced Topics" section of the OPL manual gives guidance on this.

   Try to make the program as user-configurable as possible. All doctors are different, and have different needs and foibles. And many are just downright awkward. I speak from experience as a software author and doctor.

   Try to keep memory requirements down and speed up.

   Try not to include many subsidiary files etc. Where possible, use just one program file, and as few data files as you can reasonably get away with. Especially try not to use too many directories & subdirectories, but if you must, make them easily accessible. The unpalatable reason is that folks may want to remove your program at some stage, and you want to stay on their good side, don't you?

   Make sure your spelling is perfect. There's nothing more irritating than people who don't know how that the correct spelling of "fetus" is "fetus" and NOT "foetus". (But enough pedantry!)

   Remember that the most useful medical applications tend to be data reference type things - normal ranges, conversions, protocols etc. Personally I hate BMI estimators. Give us more databases and spreadsheets!!

   Let me know so that I can include it on the software page!

The main principle behind Palmtop Medicine is "Use it or Lose it". The more you incorporate your palmtop into your clinical practice, the more valuable you will find it. I find palmtops work best when used in conjunction with a Personal Computer, linked up with PsiWin (for the Psion range), or a similar product. That's the fact whether you're medical or not. The other Big Thing is to encourage your colleagues to join the Palmtop Generation.

Onward & Upward: Development Potential

The practice of Medicine is undergoing a phase of rapid change greater than any ever before. I suppose we must remember that the most important thing is not to let your palmtop (or anything else) come between you and your patient. The therapeutic relationship benefits both patient and doctor.