E-drug: Handheld computers in resource-poor settings
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The value of handheld computers for health providers working in
resource-poor environments.
As some of you may know, SATELLIFE and partners in Kenya and Uganda are
engaged in a project this year to test the efficacy of handheld computers
(Palm, etc) by health care workers to collect data and to access medical
reference material. In addition to HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria treatment
guidelines specific to each country, the units also carry essential drug
lists, medical calculators and medical text books. This project has been
funded by the Acumen Fund (New York, USA) and to date has put 110 handheld
computers in the filed.
This week, I am pleased to share the news of a significant donation to the
project. Skyscape, a Massachusetts, USA company (www.skyscape.com) that
publishes medical reference books in the Palm OS and Pocket PC format has
donated 160 copies of reference "books" for use by health workers
participating in our project. The titles include Griffith's 5-Minute
Clinical Consult, A To Z Drug Facts, The Harriett Lane Handbook, Pocket
OB/GYN, and 5 Minute Pediatrics. Each unit will be equipped with two of the
above books.
Skyscape is committed to the cause of helping make a meaningful impact on
improving health care worldwide. We are very grateful to Skyscape.com for
this contribution that we hope is the start of a great relationship.
I encourage those of you who have web access and are interested in resources
for the handheld computer to visit their website. For those who would like
more information about our handheld project, please feel free to contact me
(hladd@usa.healthnet.org) or Rebecca Riccio (rebecca@usa.healthnet.org).
Regards,
Holly Ladd
Executive Director
SATELLIFE