PalmCIS: A Wireless Handheld Application for Satisfying Clinician Information Needs

j J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2004;11:19–28. DOI 10.1197/jamia.M1387. The use of wireless and handheld technology in the health care setting has become widespread in recent years. Installation of wireless networks in health care institutions to allow mobility and flexibility is becoming more prevalent. The use of handheld devices to facilitate clinical tasks is also increasing. However, the combination of wireless technology and handheld devices is in its early stages. We are investigating the use of wireless handheld technology to reduce medical errors by facilitating access to needed clinical information and communication between clinicians. Palm-based Clinical Information System (PalmCIS) is a wireless handheld clinical information system that provides clinicians with real-time access to a subset of patient data found in the patient record. This system is distinct from commercially available patient tracking applications. It provides direct access to our clinical data repository and serves as an extension to our Web-based clinical information system. The goal is to provide clinicians at New York Presbyterian Hospital (NYPH) with secure access to information to which they currently may not have adequate access. The application should be easy to learn and use and also provide needed information in a quick and organized way. A combination of commercially available and homegrown solutions has been used to resolve these security and usability issues. We surveyed current PalmCIS users on the usability of our system. Responses indicate that PalmCIS is useful and contains the functions desired.