The personal digital assistant in an obstetrics and gynecology residency program

Improvements in electronic technologies have resulted in smaller devices at faster speeds. Whether the provision of a personal digital assistant (PDA) to obstetrics and gynecology residents enhances their residency experience is open to question. This paper presents our institutional experience with incorporating a PDA into an obstetrics and gynecology residency training program. A PDA (Handspring Visor) was provided to residents who did not currently have a PDA. They were then instructed to use this tool at their own leisure with no requirements imposed from the department. Surveys were conducted at three intervals to determine whether this tool was impacting residency experience. Resident responses to the survey revealed that there was a decreased perceived value to this tool at follow-up intervals. However, residents felt that they were not using this tool to its maximum potential. In 94% of responses, the responder felt that the PDA should be available at residency programs and anticipated using it in private practice after completing residency. Expectations for the potential uses of a PDA were high among the obstetrics and gynecology residents. However, the voluntary implementation of a new tool added an additional responsibility in an otherwise busy residency-training program. Thus, the integration of the PDA did not meet the anticipated expectations of overwhelming use by residents. Providing additional software applications and PDA tutorials may encourage residents to take advantage of tools available for procedure logs, electronic billing, electronic prescriptions, and wireless fetal monitoring.