[jamesmayur]

McGraw-Hill has released Diagnosaurus, a free, differential diagnosis tool for the PDA. It is adapted from Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment and uses the CogniQ interface. This database runs on the Palm OS (0.8 MB memory required) and Pocket PC (1.1 MB of memory required) platforms and the program can be loaded directly onto the PDA or onto an expansion card.



Diagnosaurus can be searched three ways: by symptoms, diseases, or organ system. The information provided is at a basic level for purpose of quick look up. Searching is done via a full-screen alphabetic menu, in addition to a keyword search function.

The instructions make clear that, in this hand held database, Etiology is the possible causes of a disorder, while the Differential Diagnosis (DDx) is a list of alternative diagnoses. If one is not clear on these definitions from the start, it could lead to confusion in using this tool. Unfortunately, etiologies are not included for many of the conditions.

For a symptom, a list of possible differential diagnoses is provided; including a somewhat detailed etiology, when available. However, there is no direct linkage to information about the disease itself, which you have to return to the main menu and search for under Disease. There is also a pull down menu with the option of going to related differential diagnoses.

One disappointment is the lack of multiple-term searching. This really limits the usability of this database to anyone with more than a rudimentary knowledge about clinical medicine. Also, internal linkage in Diagnosaurus can be confusing. The only obvious linkage is from the See related DDx screens. However, there is linkage available on the DDx screens, but no underlining to highlight this feature. It is also not available for all terms listed on the DDx screens.

The usefulness of Diagnosaurus depends on whether or not a particular record contains etiology information. With this information, it becomes more useful for the advanced practitioner. Without the etiology information, the database may only be useful for the beginning clinician. Unfortunately, the presence of etiology information is more of an exception than a rule. Diagnosaurus may need to be supplemented by additional information in order to provide a sound medical diagnosis.

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