Personal digital assistant use by nurse practitioners: a descriptive study.

Full Abstract

PURPOSE: We sought to describe the prevalence and patterns of use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) among active nurse practitioners (NPs). DATA SOURCES: A descriptive correlational survey was conducted among NPs in the United States (N = 126). Participants were randomly selected from members of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners who had listed a practice site on their application. CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-four percent of participants used PDAs. A drug reference was reported to be the most useful and frequently installed application. A large majority of PDA users believed that PDA use supported clinical decision making (91%), promoted patient safety (89%), and increased productivity (75%). Sixty-two percent predicted that PDA use would change their practice within the next 5 years. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: As innovative PDA applications with potential to improve patient outcomes become increasingly available, handheld computer skills will be a fundamental practice competency. To prevent errors in clinical decision making with quick access to PDA reference materials, NPs must critically evaluate the legitimacy and worth of PDA software programs. There is a critical need to evaluate the effectiveness of PDA use in clinical settings and develop an evidence base to guide use of the PDA in solving clinical problems.

Author information

Author/s: Stroud, Sally D (SD); Smith, Carol A (CA); Erkel, Elizabeth A (EA);

Affiliation: College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. stroudsd(-atsign-)musc.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (J Am Acad Nurse Pract), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Jan; vol 21 (issue 1) : pp 31-8

Dates: Created 2009/01/07; Completed 2009/05/01;

PMID: 19125893, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/1/2009, IMS Date: 01 May 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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