Calculator programs for handheld computers: Crunching the numbers made easy

We hope we have shown you a few more software programs to make your life on the wards or in the office just a little bit easier.We have shown you a program to help you analyze blood gases when the situation arises instead of struggling to recall the HendersonHasselbach equation. In addition, several other programs were highlighted that can help you with everyday medical calculations that often come up in practice. Regardless of whether you have a Palm or Pocket PC handheld computer, software developers around the world (including both authors) are striving to help physicians by programming useful tools such as those shown in this chapter. As we mentioned earlier, good clinical judgment is always necessary, and you should be sure to check any software for bugs or errors before relying on it too heavily. Patients are constantly amazed when I recall their due date based on having it stored in PregTrak or Preg Calc, and I've had patients who smoke become inspired to quit by showing the dramatic decrease in risk of a heart attack by quitting using Stat Cholesterol (this can also be done using the National Cholesterol Education Program ATP III calculator in InfoRetriever). It won't be long before patients will expect this type of precise information from their doctors at the point of care, so go out and buy your handheld computer and start using some of these great programs as soon as you can.You'll be amazed by the response you get in the exam room or in the hospital!