PubMed for Handhelds is the one of the latest free PDA databases available. This database allows PDA access to the PubMed database on wireless devices only. I tested this version of PubMed on my PalmOne Treo 600 smart phone. However, the search interface is also available from the PubMed website on any PC. This gives you the chance to check out the interface without the required wireless PDA. At Jefferson, currently only physicians and residents are supported with wireless PDA access, and only within clinical areas.
There are three searching methods available for PubMed for Handhelds, in addition to the ability to search the Clinical Trials database. The three handheld options for searching PubMed are: “Search MEDLINE/PubMed”, “Read Journal Abstracts”, and “Search via PICO”. In this issue I will review the “Search MEDLINE/PubMed” option.
Searching via the MEDLINE/PubMed option gives a variety of options, including the ability to search by Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). It is designed to allow text word searching that will also map to appropriate MeSH terms, just like the full version of PubMed itself. It is also designed for search by filters, but searching without filter can also be done.
To search utilizing filters, you can search for either by “Systematic Reviews” or “Clinical Queries” filters. Systematic review searching uses straightforward text word searching, as shown below:
The “Clinical Queries” filter allows you to limit your search to the categories of therapy, diagnosis, etiology, or prognosis. Furthermore, the search emphasis can be broadened by using the “sensitive search” option or narrowed using the “specific search” option. This is similar to using the “Focus” option within OVID. The “specific search” filter looks for your query term to be the main topic of the article, while the “sensitive search” filter looks for just the term occurring in the PubMed record. The search results then display as shown below:
There is no language filter in this search interface, so journal articles like number 4 will have the title in brackets to indicate this. The “Abstract” link will display the citation and abstract of the article. The “Full Text” link is misleading. It links back the actual citation and abstract in the full version of PubMed, not the full text of the article. This link never worked on my PalmOne Treo 600. I only was able to discover this when testing the search on a PC.
In the next issue of the Forum, I will review the “Search via PICO” function, which stands for Patient/Problem, Intervention, Compare to, and Outcome.
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