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.
Subject(s)
Attitude of Health Personnel , Attitude to Computers , Computers, Handheld/statistics & numerical data , Nurse Practitioners/psychology , Analysis of Variance , Computer Literacy , Computer User Training , Decision Making , Decision Support Systems, Clinical/statistics & numerical data , Education, Nursing, Graduate , Evidence-Based Practice , Female , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Nurse Practitioners/education , Nurse Practitioners/organization & administration , Nursing Methodology Research , Point-of-Care Systems/statistics & numerical data , Safety , Surveys and Questionnaires , United StatesSubject(s)
Dermatitis, Occupational , Foot Dermatoses , Pruritus , Toes , Causality , Dermatitis, Occupational/diagnosis , Dermatitis, Occupational/etiology , Dermatitis, Occupational/prevention & control , Diagnosis, Differential , Foot Dermatoses/diagnosis , Foot Dermatoses/etiology , Foot Dermatoses/prevention & control , Humans , Humidity , Male , Middle Aged , Nurse Practitioners , Primary Health Care , Pruritus/diagnosis , Pruritus/etiology , Pruritus/prevention & control , Skin CareABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To describe the prevalence and patterns of use of personal digital assistants (PDAs) by nurse practitioner (NP) students and faculty, examine relationships between patterns of use of PDAs and demographic characteristics of NP students and faculty, and describe patterns of use of PDAs that support evidence-based practice (clinical scholarship). DATA SOURCES: Responses to a 20-item questionnaire administered via electronic or postal mail from 227 NP students and faculty. CONCLUSIONS: A majority (67%) of the participants used PDAs. Use was higher among men (82%) than women (64%) (p < .05). On average, respondents who used a PDA (N = 153) had been using it just over a year (M = 13 months). Respondents reported using a PDA most days of the week (M = 5 days). The top three medical software programs identified by respondents as the most useful in clinical practice were ePocrates Rx (82%), Griffith's 5-Minute Clinical Consult (26%), and MedCalc (22%). Most participants (96%) related that PDA use supported clinical decision making. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Personal digital assistants may facilitate the application of evidence-based knowledge to practice. However, until there is evidence that PDA software is valid and reliable, clinicians should continue to use a multitude of references to assure the quality and safety of care provided.
