Use of handheld computers as bedside information providers.

Access to clinical reference information at the point-of-care is a goal that is difficult to achieve by lack of really portable reference material. Handheld computers have matured to the point where they are powerful enough to be used as clients of a distributed knowledge system serving reference information and decision-aid applications in a highly portable form factor. We describe a pilot project launched at the Geneva University Hospital studying the use of handhelds and associated clinical applications in two internal medicine clinics. Results garnered by this study will help answer the many questions raised by the use of handhelds in medical practice, in term of cost, benefits, risk and change in workflow.