# Presentation: 774991

## PubMed in Your Pocket...Medical Research at Your Fingertips

- Denise O’Shea
- Technology Coordinator
- NN/LM Middle Atlantic Region

## Personal Digital Assistant Resources from the National Library of Medicine

- The National Library of Medicine (NLM) has developed several information resources specifically designed for use on Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs).
-  This workshop is an introduction to two of these applications.

## Workshop Objectives

- Describe NLM’s PubMed applications for the PDA.
- Locate and install the relevant software.
- Search PubMed/Medline via a specialized interface that is formatted for the PDA.
- Use filters and limits for advanced searching.
- View search results on the PDA.
- Browse journal abstracts on the PDA.
- Search *ClinicalTrials.gov* on the PDA.
- Provide feedback on these products.

## PubMed Applications for the PDA

**PubMed on Tap 1.6**
- PubMed on Tap (PMoT) is an **research **application for PDAs that brings MEDLINE® citations directly to the PDA through a wireless connection to the Internet.
**PubMed for Handhelds**
- A service that allows one to access the PubMed interface via a PDA equipped with an Internet browser.
- Both products are free.

## PMOT: Special Features

**PMoT** features include:
- PubMed search limits
- History of previous searches
- Save selected citations to the Memo Pad
- A clustered results option.
- Link-out to the full-text article (if available) from the Citation screen

**Notes:**
Link-out to the full-text article (if available) from the Citation screen. PMoT will launch your PDA's browser with the URL given by PubMed. You will not be able to go "back" to PMoT from the full-text site; you will need to re-start PMoT.  »   Improved error handling. 

## PubMed for Handhelds: Special Features

- To use this service your PDA should have either a wireless or physical connection to the Internet and a Web browser.
- Users can also search offline by utilizing a product such as AvantGo (_[http://www.avantgo.com/](http://www.avantgo.com/)__). AvantGo allows Internet content to be captured and loaded to a PDA that has no Internet connection._
- Browse journal abstracts and search for clinical trials.

## Hardware Requirements

**PMoT** System Requirements:
- Palm PDA or Smart-phone with an Internet connection – via CDMA, GSM (the cell phone network) or through a WiFi LAN (802.11b).
- Pocket PC PDA or Smart-phone with an Internet connection.
**PubMed for Handhelds** System Requirements
- There are no files to install thus it is platform independent. It works with Palm OS, PocketPC and Linux PDAs.
- Compatible with any Web browser – AvantGo, Blazer, EudoraWeb, WebPro, Internet Explorer, etc.
- Has been tested with 802.11b, Bluetooth, infrared, wireless modem and desktop synch.

## Locating and Installing the Software

- To download PubMed on Tap and to become an evaluator, go to: _[http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/pmot.php](http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/pmot.php)_
- You can also beam PMoT directly from one PDA to another.
- To access PubMed for Handhelds  point your browser to:** **_[http://](http://pubmedhh.nlm.nih.gov/nlm)__[pubmedhh.nlm.nih.gov/nlm](http://pubmedhh.nlm.nih.gov/nlm)_

## Caveats

- The **PMoT** proxy server runs on an R&D http server. You may experience an occasional irregularity.

## Starting PMoT

- To open PubMed on Tap, tap the icon labeled “PM on Tap”

## PMoT: The Search Tab part 1

- The functions of PMoT are grouped into tabs.
- The right & left arrows in the upper right corner are used to scroll through the tabs (or use the drop down menu).
- The default tab is the Search tab.

## PMoT: The Search Tab part 2

- Enter search terms on the line after “For:”.
- You can select a return of 50, 40 or 20 articles at a time (default is 50).
- Tap the globe/magnifying glass to execute the search.

**Notes:**
For the first use, the Search preferences default to no Profile, no clustered results, and return 50 results. For subsequent uses, the Search preferences and the Profile will be set to their state when PubMed on Tap was closed.

Fewer results may be the appropriate choice for devices with lower throughput.

## PMoT: The Results Tab

- Display Mode
- Summary vs. Brief
- Viewing the Citation
- Saving a Citation
- Related Articles
- LinkOut

## PMoT: Display Modes

**Summary mode**

**Brief mode**

**Notes:**
If results are not clustered, abbreviated results appear in PubMed order. The default display mode is Summary. Each Summary consists of the article publication, the first author name and up to two lines of the title. Scroll down to view all returned Summaries.

## PMoT: View the Citation

- To view the citation for an article, tap anywhere on the Summary or Brief text.
- Tap* the back arrow to return to the results tab. Note the color change in the article number.

**Notes:**
Scroll down to read the abstract and other citation data. Tap the house icon to return to the Search Tab. On Palm devices, tap the blue back arrow to return to the Results Tab. On PocketPC devices, close the Citation window to return to the Results Tab. Tap the “RA” icon to retrieve Related Articles. Note: You cannot “go back” to the Citation screen from the Related Articles results. 

## PMoT: Saving a Citation to the Memo Pad

- Click the Computer Disk icon at the bottom of the Citation screen to save a citation to the memo pad.
- You can then beam the citation to others and/or hotsync it to your desktop computer.

## PMoT: Related Articles

- Tap the Page icon with the characters RA at the bottom of the Citation screen to retrieve Related Articles for the given bibliographic Record.
- Note: it is not possible to “go back” to the original results from here.

## PMoT: LinkOut

- Tap the Link icon at the bottom of the Citation screen to link-out to the full-text article (if available) for the given bibliographic record. PMoT will launch your PDA’s browser.
- If the icon is **green**, it is a free full-text link.
- Note: it is not possible to “go back” to the original results from here.

**Notes:**
Caveats: 
The link is usually to the publisher’s web site. If the link is not to free-full-text, you may not have permission to view the full text. 

The full text may be in PDF format rather than in html text. 

PubMed on Tap does not control how the full text article is rendered. That is a function of your browser and the target URL.

Palm PDAs run only one program at a time. To resume using PubMed on Tap, you must close the browser and re-start PubMed on Tap.

PocketPCs can keep multiple programs open. You may close the browser and resume using PubMed on Tap directly.

## PMoT: The Clustered Results Tab part 1

- Search results can be clustered by Journal Subject or by EBM (Evidence Based Medicine) clusters. Select the preferred results option from the menu on the Search tab & execute the search. The results appear in a tree hierarchy on the Cluster Results tab.
- Tap on the ‘+’ sign to expand a node and to  reveal truncated titles. Keep tapping to retrieve the citation.

**Notes:**
There are six possible clusters, the five shown here and “Other”. Citations are assigned to EBM clusters using MeSH terms and Publication Type. Therefore, articles that are not yet indexed will fall into the Journal Article or the Other cluster. The “English + Human” limit compliments the EBM clustering option; it will limit the search to indexed articles.

## PMoT: The Clustered Results Tab part 2

## PMoT: The History Tab

- Tap the History Tab to see the previous 20 search strings.
- Tap on a search string to select it, then tap the ‘Copy to Search Tab’ button. Tap the globe to execute a new search.

## PMoT: The Profile Tab

- Limits can be applied to a search query by using functions on the Profile Tab. Tap the Profile tab to see the available options.

## PMoT: The Profile Tab – Options and Limits part 1

- Options:
- “Only items with abstracts”
- “English + Human”
- Limits
- Clinical Queries
- Publication Date
- Journal Subsets
- Publication Types

## PMoT: The Profile Tab – Options and Limits part 2

- Example, to choose a Subset search strategy, tap the down arrow next to ‘Subsets’, then tap the up & down arrows in the box to scroll to the desired query, select it by tapping it.
- To clear all profile settings tap the ‘Reset’ button.

## PMoT: Using Your Profile

- Return to the Search tab, tap the ‘Use Profile’ checkbox and execute the search.

## PMoT: Saving & Opening Profiles

- To save a particular Profile, tap the ‘Save Profile’ button while the desired profile is displayed. You can save up to 4 profiles.
- Later, a profile can be restored by opening the ‘Open Profile’ button.

## PubMed Anywhere

- Connecting to the interface:
- _[http://certif.nlm.nih.gov/devt/nlm/](http://certif.nlm.nih.gov/devt/nlm/)_
- There are 5 options:
- Search MEDLINE/PubMed
- Read new Journal Abstracts
- PICO
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Feedback

## PubMed Anywhere: Searching MEDLINE/PubMed

**Notes:**
When you click on the "Search MEDLINE/PubMed" link available on the application's home page, you reach a screen from which you can search PubMed with no filters, or you can narrow your search using the Systematic Reviews or Clinical Queries filters.

## askMedline

## Browsing Journal Abstracts on the PDA

- This feature allows users to view current journal abstracts from core clinical journals.
- If the journal whose abstracts you'd like to view is not among those listed in the pull-down menu, you can search for any part of the journal's title (or the NLM title abbreviation) into the search box on the lower half of the screen.

## Searching ClinicalTrials.gov on the PDA

- Users may search *ClinicalTrials.gov* by entering keywords for disease/condition, location, experimental treatment, etc. to identify clinical trials that may be occurring.

## Searching PubMed/MEDLINE via PICO

- PICO (**p**atient**/p**roblem**,** **i**ntervention, **c**ompared to,**o**utcome)
- A method used for structuring clinical questions & literature searches. PICO may be useful to those interested in evidence-based medicine.

## Keeping Up-to-Date with PMoT

- Join our mailing list and receive email notification when we release a new version of the **PMoT **client:
- _[http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/eval.php](http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/eval.php)_

## Providing Feedback to NLM

- To give feedback on PMoT visit _[http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/ex/exercisesFeedback.php](http://archive.nlm.nih.gov/proj/pmot/ex/exercisesFeedback.php)__ or the PMoT User Forum._
- You may e-mail questions to Susan Hauser at _[pubmedontap@lhc.nlm.nih.gov](mailto:pubmedontap@lhc.nlm.nih.gov)_
- To give feedback on PubMed Anywhere visit _[http://certif.nlm.nih.gov/devt/nlm/](http://certif.nlm.nih.gov/devt/nlm/)__, and use the site’s Feedback link to send comments to the developers._
- You may also send questions, comments & suggestions to _[pubmedhh@nlm.nih.gov](mailto:pubmedhh@nlm.nih.gov)_

## Additional Resources

- Denise O’Shea
- _[doshea@nyam.org](mailto:doshea@nyam.org)__,_
- (212) 822-7358 or 1-800-338-7657 (free for calls from DE, NJ, NY or PA)
- National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Middle Atlantic Region
- New York Academy of Medicine
- 1216 Fifth Avenue
- New York, New York 10029

## Updates

- As of June 2004 PMoT is available for the PocketPC.
- As of August 2004, the PubMed on Tap server no longer supports requests from clients to email a Citation. “Because our users are not required to log in for this service, there is potential for abuse, and we need to close that hole. We apologize to those of you who use this feature”*. A workaround is to save the citation to the Memo Pad and either email that from your PDA or hotsync it to your desktop computer and email it from there.
- As of December 2004, the My Journals feature of PMoT was discontinued.
- *The PubMed on Tap developers