Wayne L., Cleveland, OH, USA
October 16, 2008 · Print This Article
That way, when the same clinical issue comes up again in the future, or whether I am asked a question during rounds, I can quickly sneak a peek in my notes and come up with an reply.
Now, my contemporary system is far from perfect. And while my use of calendar, contacts, and to do has remained largely the same, my use of memo has changed. MemoPad has now become my repository of notes and medical knowledge. Perhaps Google Docs integration on the Android would fit the bill for note taking?
In any box, I have enjoyed using my TX in the clinical setting.
During the first two years of medical school, my Palm OS Treo was a very helpful companion, but mostly as simply a digital organizer. I used it no different than most other users. Now, when I come across a learning point, I try to take notes directly into memo pad, or scribble something down quickly on a sheet of paper to be transferred by later. It will be interesting to see what choices will be available in a few years when I’m in the market to upgrade. While my Treo was useful in many different ways, as a gaming device during study breaks, a quick e mail client, an occasional bible, an occasional media player during flights, a vpn client for my home computer, and simply a fun gadget, for most of the moment I used it for it standard workhorse functions - calendar, contacts, to do, memos. I tried SplashNotes since it uses outline format and syncs nicely with the desktop, but its navigation control when using an external keyboard is poorly implemented ([Enter] does not create a bullet point!). About a year ago I bought a Bluetooth keyboard to fabricate text entry easier, but the setup is not entirely bug free, and I’ve had to pact with frustrating crashes resulting in notes loss. Will Palm be spine in the game with a viable replacement for the TX or LifeDrive? However, it does not compare with typing on real computer keyboard, or a Treo for that matter. What I
I’ve tried other systems, but nothing has fit the bill. The first big change was switching to a TX to take advantage of its larger screen and memory. Or will it be still playing catch up? And you can forget trying to scribble diagrams. While the main tasks remain the same — calendar, contacts, to do, memos — I now use it much less for recreational aspirations. I use myKbd’s brilliant non-Qwerty ATOMIK keyboard + TextPlus which has sped up my typing with the stylus. These limitations have me looking temptingly at other platforms which are generating more interest from new developers. It has really augmented my learning and ability to supply good help to my patients. The bulk of my date is spent in ePocrates Rx (drug reference), ePocrates Medical thesaurus, Merck, MedCalc, etc. I tried DocsToGo to keep my notes as .doc files, but the program didn’t play well with the Bluetooth keyboard (lots of crashes). There are only so many *’s and -’s you can type to indicate nested bullets. However, the TX is now showing its year, and I’m starting to push up against its limits. While as a expanded day Palm Addict I certainly hope Palm succeeds, whether Palm’s not ready I’ll have to look elsewhere.
Instead of playing with TCPMP, tweaking VPN, or reading mobile websites, I am now using medical software heavily to aid my learning and improve the help I give to my patients. Without an external keyboard, text entry on a TX is not easy. And while Memopad is fast, has a small footprint, and has the highest details portability, it’s not the best format for outline-type notes.
Now that I’m in the clinical portion of my medical education, how I use my Palm has changed. I wish text entry were easier, which might prevent me from having to scribble notes on paper first and transfer later.
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