Since health care is a bustling, lively, constantly expanding field wherein time is of the essence, most physicians, nurses and medical professionals are very busy individuals. Thus, it’s not surprising that many of them rely on their PDAs, or personal digital assistants, to keep them connected to their practice and their patients even when they’re out of the office or can’t make it to a desktop computer. Luckily, there are many different medical software programs available that are specifically designed to work with handheld electronic devices. These programs allow doctors to stay on top of their game and keep their lives and their medical practice in order without expending a great deal of effort and energy that  could otherwise be devoted to caring for patients.

Here are some of the different kinds of medical software that you can purchase or download for your PDA:

• Information software. These programs allow you to subscribe to news feeds, blogs and medical journals in order to ensure that you have access to all of the latest information in your field right in the palm of your hand. Learn about up-to-the-minute advances in research, technology and treatment so you can better serve your patients!
• Reference software. Instead of poring over dense medical tomes that take up space in your office, simply use one of these programs to conduct a search next time you need the exact definition for a term or you have a question about certain symptoms or potential treatment methods.
• Pharmaceutical software. PDA drug guides can provide information about prices, dosing, drug interactions and more.
• Patient tracking software. Keep all of your patient data on hand and easily accessible, even when you’re out of the office.
• Coding and billing software.
• Calculators and formulas.
• Medical Ebooks. Keep your standby texts in your pocket and free up shelf space at the same time.

For a vast number of health care professionals, medical software is an absolutely essential feature on any portable electronic device – and with so many excellent options to choose from, it’s not difficult to understand why.

Medical software can certainly be a lifesaver when it comes to helping doctors perform surgeries more precisely and effectively, whether the computer is actually present in the operating room or simply a learning tool that can be used to try out different surgical methods ahead of time, before the scalpel even makes contact in real life. What if it were possible, however, for surgeons to conduct life-saving procedures on patients from afar, using “virtual surgery” programs not unlike the AirStrip technology that allows doctors to monitor patients’ vital signs from anywhere in the world? This kind of software could enable patients to receive the best, most advanced medical care, no matter where they live; the implications for people in third-world countries and other far-flung, underprivileged locales would be enormous.

Fortunately, engineers at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California are hard at work developing software with such capabilities, specifically intended for pediatric care. They have created a system – similar to the Internet – that connects medical information from hospitals all over the world into one virtual ICU. Using this network, doctors who need information can easily access the latest findings of researchers and fellow physicians who live and work in different countries. The software is similar to that used by the Mars Rovers, robots that are controlled remotely by scientists here on Earth to explore the terrain of distant planets in our solar system.

This ability to share ideas and information instantaneously has been a huge boon to doctors working in remote locations, or those who may not have had regular access to the latest updates from the medical community in the past. It will surely save the lives of many children in need, especially as the software continues to expand and improve, and as cameras and virtual imagery are incorporated into the network, allowing remote viewing and the treatment of patients by doctors who are located anywhere on the globe.

Just as medical software has been used to help dermatologists and doctors identify and treat skin diseases more quickly and effectively than in the past, similar programs are helping physicians diagnose stomach ailments in patients. Two married doctors in Oregon, Dr. Shakuntala Krishnamurthy and her husband Dr. Gerbail T. Krishnamurthy, have developed a specialized kind of software that will help patients who are suffering from liver and gallbladder disease – a source of pain for more than 20 million Americans. The computer program, which is FDA approved, helps doctors measure and monitor levels of gallbladder and liver function. With accurate access to such specific information, doctors are better equipped to understand what’s behind a patient’s abdominal aches and pains.

Frequently, the source of stomach pains can flummox and confuse physicians. But with this and other similar types of medical software, the mystery is gone, and patients can receive better and less invasive care. In fact, the software may even help reduce the number of unnecessary surgeries performed – great news for patients (and insurance companies) on both the health and financial fronts. According to Dr. Gerbail Krishnamurthy, close to 1 million people have their gallbladder removed each year. The cost of all those operations? Nearly $6 billion! Now, doctors can determine whether or not the organ actually needs to be removed before proceeding with surgery.

In addition, patients who had unexplained stomach pain that didn’t seem to point to their gallbladder can now receive the care they need. For instance, many patients are mistakenly diagnosed with reflux disease and suffer for years without relief. Now, thanks to the Krishnamurthy-pioneered software, they can have a simple test to determine how well their gallbladder is functioning, and then make the decision to remove it if necessary. Already, these new advances in medical software have greatly benefited patients all over the world who have been struggling with stomach pain in silence.

Medical software, when coupled with the expertise and knowledge of a skilled physician, has unquestionably saved many lives. These programs have helped to improve the success rates of risky surgical procedures, made diagnoses faster and more specific, and enabled doctors to monitor and care for patients from afar. However, it’s important to note that, despite some media buzz to the contrary, medical software will never be able to take the place of an actual doctor! One excellent illustrative example of how these types of programs must be combined with expert human knowledge relates to CAD, or computer-assisted detection, software.

Detection software is usually used to help doctors review and evaluate their findings from X-rays, MRIs, and other types of internal imaging that are used to help diagnosis serious medical problems. For instance, many doctors use computer-assisted detection software to read mammograms, in order to determine whether or not the patient has any problematic or potentially cancerous areas that need further medical evaluation. This type of software scans the mammogram and identifies areas of concern. In theory, this program will work in conjunction with an attentive doctor, essentially serving as a second pair of eyes to make sure that he or she hasn’t overlooked anything the first time. However, according to one study conducted by the Group Health Cooperative in Seattle, doctors frequently find spots and lesions that the computer overlooks!

What does this mean for health care professionals? It means that CAD software can be a helpful supplementary tool, but it should be treated as just that: A tool, not the ultimate word in a patient’s prognosis. Doctors must stay vigilant and rely on their medical training and years of experience to determine whether or not a patient has problem areas on his or her scan or X-ray. While medical software can be a great help to doctors everywhere, it should never be relied upon as a substitute for human expertise or a “doctor substitute.”

Medical software, like all computer software, can help its users simplify and streamline their lives and shave hours off of their daily schedules. But unlike many other types of software, programs specifically designed to aid medical professionals have the distinction of saving more than time; in countless instances, they can help save lives as well. Some types of medical software help physicians make faster and more accurate diagnoses, while others help them perform surgeries that are more precise and less traumatic for the patient. Along those lines, one of the most exciting new types of computer software for doctors is a program that allows physicians to monitor the vital signs of critical care patients from remote locations.

The revolutionary program, which is currently being developed and distributed by San Antonio-based AirStrip Technologies, was created originally for obstetricians who were struggling with treating several different patients at multiple locations, has already gained a number of fans in the medical community. According to one Las Vegas physician, the program – which he claims to use on a daily basis – has “significantly” improved communication between doctors and nurses during labor and delivery, and that patient care has likewise become much more effective as a result. AirStrip, which was founded by a software engineer and an obstetrician, continues to grow and adapt with the times: In fact, the software is now iPhone compatible and can even be downloaded via the iTunes store, where it averages more than 40 downloads each day.

Looking beyond its applications in the field of obstetrics, similar software programs may be developed that will allow doctors to “keep an eye” on patients, even when they can’t be in the hospital room themselves. It’s impossible to guess how many lives will be saved by the creation and dissemination of such software, but the possibilities are certainly exciting.