- Compiled by Gary Thayer, MobileVillage Editor

MobileVillage, March 22, 2007 -- Following is a roundup of recent announcements about mobile software for healthcare use.

Mayo Clinic has collaborated with Digital Cyclone, a Minnesota-based subsidiary of Garmin, to launch The Mayo Clinic InTouch, a software application that delivers a variety of health information applications directly to cellular phones on Alltel Wireless, Sprint, and other carriers.

According to the companies, Mayo Clinic InTouch lets subscribers get immediate access to:

• Step-by-step first aid tips;
• A Symptom Checker that provides self-care guidelines or advises emergency care for more than 45 common symptoms in adults and children;
• More than 100 short health news videos; and
• Timely health alerts and drug watches.
  

In addition, subscribers may enter their city or ZIP code to search for nearby emergency and urgent care facilities from a list of over 3,800 accredited providers. If the cell phone has global positioning system (GPS) capability, it automatically finds nearby accredited facilities without typing the city or ZIP code. The care center's information is displayed in list format and shows the facility's name, address and estimated distance.

Unbound Medicine announced the release of The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult for PDA, a reference providing advice on problems seen in infants, children, and adolescents. More than 450 diseases are covered. Unbound Medicine also released Diseases and Disorders, A Nursing Therapeutics Manual, 3/e for PDA, which covers over 250 medical conditions that are commonly encountered in nursing practice. Practical recommendations are supported by concise descriptions of how the human body is altered by disease and by clear rationales for medications and tests. The references can be loaded on Palm, Pocket PC, or Windows Mobile devices. For more information, see unboundmedicine.com.

Recent related stories:

Mobile enterprise software roundup: March 2007

Mobile healthcare software: Nov. - Dec., 2006

Ambulances access multiple wireless nets, speed up patient care (Information Week)

Healthcare companies jump on wireless data bandwagon (Information Week)