2008-2009 Edition of Geriatrics At Your Fingertips for Handheld Devices Available This Fall

The 2008-2009 edition of Geriatrics At Your Fingertips (GAYF) for Pocket PCs and Palms debuts this fall. This will be the third update of the popular GAYF for handheld devices available for download from www.geriatricsatyourfingertips.org. This is a "must have" electronic reference for all healthcare providers who care for older adults.

The new PDA contains all the comprehensive information found in the annually updated print edition, with over 100 tables largely focused on the latest drug information and clinical guidelines. New sections on pulmonary artery hypertension, adverse events of atypical antipsychotics, and treatment of intolerable vasomotor symptoms in older women round out the latest edition.

GAYF for PDAs offers many unique features, including calculating equations for over 20 commonly used formulas; assessment instruments such as the ADL and IADL scales and the Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment, which calculate responses; a browsable Table Contents, detailed Index, and simple Search Function; algorithms for a variety of evaluation and management approaches; bookmark and notepad sections; a "jump to" feature for quick navigation to subsections; and a footnote navigation button.

A brief tutorial on using GAYF for PDAs in the clinical setting can be downloaded from the GAYF Web site. A webcast tutorial session is also available on the American Geriatrics Society's Virtual Annual Meeting Website (www.americangeriatrics.org) and helps those using the PDA of GAYF apply this valuable resource in teaching sessions and patient care. The tutorial session can be accessed free of charge.

GAYF for PDAs is free for AGS student members and licenses are available for medical schools. For others, the cost is $23.95 for AGS members and $30.95 for non-members. "It was hard to imagine improvements, but the AGS and software developer USBMIS have done their jobs," pdaMD.com noted in a review of the 2005 edition. "The interface is really clean and aesthetically pleasing. You can search the index alphabetically or search the comprehensive table of contents. There is also a useful Tools tab that includes Abbreviations, Assessment Instruments, and Calculating Equations. Geriatrics At Your Fingertips ... contains a wealth of information that is useful beyond the geriatric patient. It deserves a good trial in order to get used to all of the information it contains."