Pen-based computing: applications in clinical medicine.

Handheld, pen-based computing is an affordable, empowering technology that has application in small practice settings as well as in hospital-wide environments. Although hardware standards are evolving, there is now a stable base of applications, wired and wireless connectivity, and other features that make pen-based computing an attractive alternative to paper and pen patient data acquisition. When combined with centralized data synchronization, pen-based computers can also serve as an affordable medium for the dissemination of clinical guidelines, standard formulary, and other patient-related data. Wireless, and to a lesser extent, wired pen-PDAs hold the potential to make web-based electronic medical records accessible from anywhere at any time.