Mobile Computing - Hype or substance.
In reality, most IT users have been disappointed by the slow and rather clumsy implementation of mobile devices.
Mobile technology is evolving and indeed, the hardware such as 3G mobile phones and PDA's has improved significantly over the last two years. Software however, evolves at a much slower pace. As a result there are only a few very specific applications that have the wow factor we all want to see in mobile computing (E.g. Global positioning systems on a PDA, streaming video on a 3G phone).

The user interface on most mobile devices can also be very restricting. It would appear that only a deft-thumbed teenager can type text on a mobile phone, but can anyone read it? (except another teenager) and although it is possible to run Excel and MS Word on a PDA, the window is so small and scribing so slow that we find it only useful in an emergency when there's not a real PC at hand.

We do believe, however, that there is a real use for mobile technology. It may sound good to say "... our staff all use mobile devices..." and it improves the reputation of management but to what cost on staff time? It is important to analyse a business problem and look at appropriate solutions rather than force a mobile solution onto a problem that can be solved by more traditional IT methods.
If the problem warrants a mobile solution and it's use does not cost more in time than the alternatives - such as pen and paper - then it may be appropriate to consider looking at PDA's and other mobile devices.

A typical problem might be communication of data. For example, a doctor on a ward round makes notes on a pad or piece of paper. If the patient conveys sensitive/critical information in a conversation and this is noted in pen then there are three major problems.

1. No security - Sensitive information is easily read by anyone who finds the notes.
2. No audit - If the notes are lost or no date written alongside then there is no way to construct an audit of events in future.
3. No sharing of critical information - A serious allergy or a specific patient's wish for example, should be made available to all medical teams caring for the patient.

Clearly in this scenario, pen and paper may well have worked in the past but it is flawed and limited. A mobile solution which enables a doctor to add a note on the fly to a patient's record whilst on the ward is far more appropriate. Information can easily be shared with other medical groups, simplifying shift hand-over, improving the quality of care for the patient and providing extra protection for the clinician too.
If nothing else, a clinician's patient list can be viewed on a mobile device showing up to the minute information on his/her patients including nursing notes and test results.

Single assessment is another application that is clearly suited to a mobile device. Instead of a single nurse trawling through an intimidating list of questions, logic in the PDA ensures that only appropriate questions are asked and multiple staff can all contribute without having to ask the same question twice.