I set my HP 95LX APPT alarm to wake me up every morning. After a shower, I change my Palmtop's NiCd rechargeable batteries (a daily ritual). I open up a 1-2-3 spreadsheet I've developed and record my struggle with the weight scales. During breakfast, I open APPT and review my day's activities. At that time, I create on single MEMO file, containing all the individual letters and memos I wrote the night before. I'll print this file out when I get to the office.
The first thing I do when I get to the hospital is to advance the date on a macro I use to date stamp my notes. I start my rounds and use MEMO to keep track of patients and billings. I may use Solver to calculate parameters for patients. I keep a large MEMO file of medical information (drug dosages and criteria for various diagnoses).
After rounds, about 8:00 a.m., I get to my office. The first thing I do is backup my entire C:\_DAT directory to my desktop PC. (I backup the PC in the evening.) I then print out the file containing the memos and notes I generated the night before. These include things for my staff to do, personal and business letters, and billing information to enter into the office computer.
During the day I use PHONE and APPT (To-do) while I work. I track the daily office expenses versus income using a 1-2-3 spreadsheet.
The Palmtop makes me more efficient. Fewer billing charges are dropped. More importantly, I am more likely to call back patients quickly and am able to track the progress of hospital patients.
Edward Conrad, M.D. Portland OR, USA