Software is like sex, it’s better when it’s free – Linus Torvalds
This page lists the most useful free PDA software which doctors and other healthcare professionals might find useful.
Drug guides:
Epocrates – free drug reference for Palm and PPC; free updates on syncing and bonus multi-drug interation checking.
Shots – immunization guide for PalmOS
TheraDoc – utility to generate patient-specific and disease-specific evidence-based antibiotic recommendations
Calculators:
Medcalc – the best very comprehensive medical calculator for PalmOS (and now PPC)
Archimedes – free calculator for PalmOS and WM
MedMath – another free medical calculator
PICU Tools – a collection of several databases and calculators for use in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.
PALS 2006 – Pediatric Advanced Life Support algorithm (PPC only)
Nephro v4.0 : a medical calculator to get quick test results on nephrology based problems.
ICUmath – medical calculator for adult ICU that uses 85 medical equations
Cardiomath – a PalmOS calculator with over 50 commonly used formulas in cardiovascular medicine
OB Suite – includes a standard OB wheel and more!
Lipid Calc – calculates lipids and the metabolic syndrome
General References and Utilities:
Diagnosaurus: McGraw-Hill’s free PDA tool which has 1000+ differential diagnosis to help you make informed decisions. Palm and PPC.
MD on Tap: an application for PDAs that retrieves MEDLINE citations directly from the PDA through a wireless connection to the Internet (download link)
My Procedures v1.1: a freebie which trainees and students who need to keep medical procedure logs might want to have in their PDAs.
CME Watch – keep track of your CME Hours on your Palm.
Neobassinette – NICU rounding tool and database.
Eponyms – a list of 1,600 common and obscure medical eponyms (e.g., Rovsing’s sign, Virchow’s node) with descriptions.
Statcoder Productivity Suite: lots of free utilities like Growth charts, Cholesterol guide, Hypertension guide. Grab the full suite download here
PalmEKG – an ECG/EKG field guide for the Palm PDA
HCSIT- Handheld Computer Smoking Intervention Tool
Meistermed’s Free Clinical References in iSilo format. Check out more references in the iSilo Medical Depot
Pulmonary Embolism Paths – a free program to help you in the management of PE
Medrules – useful clinical prediction rules taken from the medical literature
Speciality References:
Apgar score – point score evaluation in your Palm
BiliTool – uses the 2004 AAP Guidelines for management of Hyperbilirrubinemia in Newborns (download link)
BreastCa 1.0 – a breast cancer risk prediction tool
Cincistroke – a tool to assist clinicians with the acute management of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke based on current AHA guidelines. Download
COPD Guidelines Tool 1.0 – contains the guidelines developed by The Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) (download link)
EM Rules – A compendium of decision rules, calculators, scores for the EM physician
GAYF – Geriatrics at your fingertips, free PDA version of the online reference for Geriatrics. Palm and PPC.
Haemoncrules – my very own of course 
dt-MMSE : Mental State Examination
MenStat – another MMSE guide
Pedi-dose – calculation of pediatric drug doses, burn fluid replacement, pediatric trauma Score, GCS, and age related vital signs
Pneumotox – a database about drugs that may damage the respiratory system
Pneumonia Severity Index Calculator: an interactive tool to assist clinicians in determining the most appropriate care for newly diagnosed cases of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) at the point of care. Palm and PPC
General PDA Applications and Utilities:
Date calculators: we might need to work out “how many days have elapsed since surgery/transplant” , appointment dates etc. See the posts on Date calculator, Date calculator II, Date calculator III for links to these useful apps.
This is always a work in progress! Last updated September 20, 2008
Have I missed out your favorite? Please Contact me
