A big day today. (yesterday)I'm in San Diego at the AAFP conference. 4700 family physicians. I'm one of a handful of folks who are staffing the computer "zoo" at the conference. It's an area on the exhibit floor where folks can go to learn about software and hardware. Lots of traffic today in the "PDA Chat Room" where folks came to learn how to use their Palm OS devices. Not many folks using WinCE.
Heard in the chat room:
"what is the essential software that should I load on to my PDA?"
Common answers:
Epocrates, 5 Minute Clinical Consult , Shots"Is there software that I can use to help me write progress notes really easily?"
Um … no
"How do I check my e-mail?"
The concept of the "zoo" is a good one. The exhibit hall is a good place for folks to see software and hardware that many vendors are promoting .. but it's not a good environment to USE the software or speak with knoledgable folks about the products. Exhibitors are salespeople. In the zoo .. we try to provide folks with unbiased guidance. There are 30 computers loaded with software from many of the vendors. People can sit down and try the software. No one breathing down their neck.
And they can check their e-mail too.
