Palm Pilot/PDA

[Sammy_Jane]

Hello. I was just wondering if anyone out there uses palm pilot's/PDA's as a Medic? Is there any advantage to them. I have one offered to me for Cheap but want to know if it is worth it before I get it.

..if you do use one let me know what you use it for and what program you use.....

[Richard]

I bought a 300 dollar e2 Tungsten that I don't even use.

I have the emedic program too. Which I never use.

It's a shiny piece of kit, but a pain in the arse to carry around.

I end up writing stuff on a 59 cent pad of paper.

Wanna buy it?

[basic2be]

I use a Palm treo 650 Phone/PDA combo with the Pepid EMS suite. I find it useful when looking up uncommon meds and such. I have also used the free ePocrates drug guide as well.

[courageheartx]

palm t/x's are the biggest pieces of crap you'll ever use. I bought one and within a month,the headphone jack was crap. I don't suggest anything palm based. Go with the windows based pda's

[medic213]

I use one to keep track of appointments.And work i like to keep track of my calls and i put the names of my patiants.Because sometime i go visit them in the hospital on my days off.If you have a chance to get one go for it they are worth it.

[EMS179]

palm t/x's are the biggest pieces of crap you'll ever use. I bought one and within a month,the headphone jack was crap. I don't suggest anything palm based. Go with the windows based pda's

the only advantage to PALM vs/ MS based is that PALM programs are generally free, and MS programs are far from free. I bought a used Dell PDA and im looking to sell it because I just dont want to drop all the cash for the programs I want.

[rock_shoes]

The best use in EMS is as a quick drug reference. Anytime you come across a drug you're unfamiliar with you can quickly look it up and have all the indications, contraindications and, just as important, drug interactions.

[speedygodzilla]

I find my palm very useful for life however have rarely used it in the field. I have a drug guide, partial medical dictionary, RN labs, and IdentADrug, and also Google Maps which came with the phone. The IdentADrug is a great concept with the ability to type in the code on a pill and know what the pill is. However I have yet to use it, but I am sure I will find it useful sometime. The drug guide is useful and contains a vast amount of information which makes it hard to use quickly. RN labs is great afterwards to find out exactly what an abnormal lab value means down to the exact details, from the common ones to the uncommon lab values.

The calendar is great for personal use as is the rest of the phone.

I would not of spent the money if it wasn't also my cell phone which I am bound to be carrying all the time anyways. I don't need to carry any extra items as it is.

[mstovall]

I like the pepid program also. It is great for drug calculations, especially when you have pedi calcs. to do that you haven't done in a while. I also like the fact that you can get the most up to date drug facts if you do your regular downloads. This is about the only time I use it, but it is a lot handier than trying to thumb through a couple of drug books to check that one calc., especially when it takes the wt. and age into the mix.

JMHO,

Michael

[Just Plain Ruff]

i have purchased more pda's than I can count and I have never used it for ems work. It's a great tool for phone numbers and calendar but why would I use a 300-500 dollar piece of electronics that I purchase on my own while working? The possibility of it getting fluids, shmegma, spit and other stuff on it, or the possibility of my having it in my pocket when I have to go in scene and it getting broke is just never been something I want to do.

I did have my cell phone on my belt when I went in 4 feet of water to hold a girl up so she wouldn't drown so the fire department could extricate her from her upside down car. I got a laceration to my knee from a submerged metal object and also a ruined cell phone which was not reimbursed by my job.

So why take the risk.