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Handhelds which, linked to a synchronization data server, will deliver medical and reference information instantaneously. Doctors will enjoy their newfound ability to look up critical reference information to better care for patients. They will also be able to store their colleagues' pager numbers, including senior physicians, and download reference databases from the Internet to improve their diagnostic skills. They can even use the handheld to catalog the procedures they do on rotations rather than scribbling them on scraps of paper as in the past.

An early adopter, Dr. Wesley Davis of the Medical Center's Department of Obstetrics-Gynecology, says, "I store in my PDA information on drug dosing, procedures and patients--basically, all the things you can't remember, but need to. Its form factor is a huge improvement over paper, plus the 'search' capability gives me control over the information I need, when I need it."
So far, the school has acquired more than 400 handhelds. This may be the first widespread use of handhelds by a university -- and Wake Forest intends to stay in the lead. "The Palm OS® platform has the potential to revolutionize the way our medical center departments run and communicate," said Dr. Johannes Boehme II, associate dean for academic computing. "We see an unlimited potential with this platform that could lead to the development of customized departmental applications and the eventual deployment of several thousand handhelds."
The medical school is currently implementing a solution to make e-mail, scheduling, and medical reference material available to students and instructors alike. To these future doctors and their patients, the mobility and power of the handheld platform may end up being a real life-saver.