Home | Library Services & Information | Computing | PDA Resources & Information | Web-based PDA Resources

Web-based Resources on your PDA or Mobile Device

As Web pages are written to accomodate mobile formats and small format browsers improve, more online resources typically accessed on computers can be viewed on PDAs, PDA/Smartphones and Web-enabled mobile phones. Programs installed on your device are almost always preferable to online since they are not dependent on a data or WiFi connection and are optimized for the mobile device. A device with the ability to connect to the Internet through WiFi and/or a cellular broadband data connection can provide access to a wide variety of resources including email, medical resources and a whole host of things to meet your general and personal information needs.

Although technical limitations of the devices (e.g. inability to process Javascript, etc.) limit access to some resources, a larger consideration is the difficulty displaying content configured for a standard computer monitor on a screen as small as 2 inches diagonally. To a certain extent, usability is a matter of individual tolerance for scrolling through extraneous material to reach the content. The differences in Web browsers is significant, with the iPhone version of Safari as the gold standard.

A note on Cellular Broadband: Mobile phone providers sometimes have different data package options. Make sure you have an UNLIMITED data plan before you begin accessing Web-based medical resources. You can run up large overages on your limited data plan in a very short time because of the volume of text and the graphic content on many of these sites. Also, be aware that using cellular broadband on your smartphone when traveling abroad can be very expensive, even when just quickly checking your email. Check with your mobile service provider.

This page discusses a variety of issues relating to wireless access to library resources and other resources from mobile devices.

Connecting to the Med School's WiFi Network on PDAs and PDA/Smartphones

Any device you wish to connect to the "yale wireless" network at the Yale School of Medicine - computer, Palm, WindowsMobile (aka PPC or PocketPC) device or iPhone - must have a VPN client. You must use this software and authenticate to the nework with a university NetID or your Web access will be very limited. It is almost always the case that for both Palm and WindowMobile devices, you will need to purchase VPN client software. iPhones have a built-in PPTP VPN client. No VPN is needed to connect to the main campus segment of the Yale network but you must register your device's unique 12 character address with ITS.
  • ITS "Mobile Technology Support" page
  • Mergic VPN (for Palm devices only)
    • This PPTP client is generally reliable and easy to configure. Cost is $30. Free trial is available.
  • AnthaVPN (for Window Mobile devices and some Palm models)
    • ITS provides some limited support these VPN products. Preliminary reports are that the AnthaVPN works best with PPCs running the newest Windows Mobile 5 or 6 OS. A version of the AnthaVPN also works with the Palm TX. ITS Security recommends IPSEC over PPTP (i.e. Mergic VPN) especially if any patient information is being sent or received on the device. The software costs $79.

    Instructions for configuring the MergicVPN and AnthaVPN applications for Palm on are the ITS "Palm Smartphones and PDAs" page

Connecting from Outside of Yale

The same remote access options used with computers are also available for remote access to Yale Library resources. The VPN software you use to connect to Yale's wireless network will also allow access to restricted Yale resources from outside wireless networks (home, coffee shops, etc.). The Medical Library Proxy Server is another remote access option. All WiFi-enabled Palms, PPCs and some smartphones have the capability to make a proxy server connection. Blackberry is a notable exception to this. iPhones include both proxy and VPN options. Make sure you have applied for and received a proxy server account before you try it.

Configuring the Medical Library Proxy Server

... Palm TX or Palm Treo (Palm OS)

  1. Open the Palm Web browser
  2. Tap the Blazer icon in the upper left corner of your PDA to open the menu.
  3. Under "Options", select "Preferences", then select "Advanced" and tap the "Set Proxy" button.
  4. Click the checkbox on "Use custom proxy" and enter the proxy server name (proxy.med.yale.edu) and the Port number (3128) in the designated fields
  5. Enter your proxy username (i.e. email address) and password when prompted.

    6. To disable the proxy, uncheck the "Use custom proxy" box (see 3 and 4 above).

... WindowsMobile Devices

These instructions will vary somewhat depending on your version of the operating system.

  1. Go to "Settings" and "Connections" and tap "Setup my Proxy Server".
  2. Complete the fields with the server name (proxy.med.yale.edu) and port number (3128).

iPhone & iPodTouch

Accessing Medical Resources on iPhones & Blackberries

iPhones and the iPod Touch were closed systems until the release of 2.x version of the software. Now you can install a growing number of applications - including many medical applications - through the iTunes Apps store. The platform is not "open" the way most other smartphone platforms are to the extent that all 3rd party applications must be offered through Apple's interface.

Many of the programs that have been favorites of clinicians on the Palm and Windows Mobile devices - including ePocrates and MedCalc - are available for installation on the iPhone and iPodTouch. The iTunes Apps store has both free and commercial applications. Most of the applications of interest to health care practitioners are under the "Medical" category.

 

In addition to applications that can run locally on your device, there are a number of medical resources you can access over the Internet (either WiFi or 2G/3G network). Some applications are optimized for the iPhone and mimic the look and feel of native Apple applications. Other Web-based resources (UpToDate, for example) are written to accomodate mobile devices in general and work very well on the iPhone.  The Safari browser is the best of all the mobile device Web browsers but the size of the screen remains a limiting factor in terms of easy and fast access to informaiton. Of course the iPhone becomes useless as a mobile medical information device is you don't have either a WiFi or cellular broadband connection.  WiFi connections, where available, can provide fast connections. To use UpToDate and other Yale-sponsored resources from another WiFi network of the mobile broadband, you will need to use the VPN. The VPN built into the iPhone/iPod Touch can easily be configured. See the instructions below to configure the Yale VPN on your iPhone/Touch.

 

Setting up VPN for the iPhone and iPodTouch

  • Tap the Settings icon on your iPhone.
  • Tap General, then tap Network.
  • Choose VPN, then turn VPN On.
  • Tap IPSec and enter the following information (All settings are case-sensitive):
    • Description: yale wireless
    • Server: vpn.yale.edu
    • Account: type your Yale NetID
    • Password: type your Yale NetID password
    • Use Certificate: NO
    • Group Name: YSM_Wireless
    • Secret: ysmvpn
    • Tap Save
Turning the VPN Off (or back on)
Once you've entered VPN settings, a VPN switch appears at the top level of the "Settings" list.
   Tap Settings and turn VPN on or off.

Blackberries

The newer generation of Blackberries have memory card support and permit the installation 3rd party software. There are a growing number of applications available for purchase from mobile software vendors such as Skyscape. Unfortunately, none of the programs the Medical Library licenses for Palm and WindowsMobile devices support installation on a Blackberry. Another major limitation of the Blackberry platform is the lack of VPN or proxy services. That means that most Blackberry users will not be able to access the Medical Library's extensive online resources. Exceptions include UCentral resources which allow you to create a passworded account for access. The most popular FREE application for the Blackberry is Epocrates Rx. See our PDA software page for details and the most current information on Blackberry applications.

Medical Library Resources Optimized for Mobile Devices

Optimized for Mobile Devices

  • UCentral ...... Includes a number of resources optimized for PDA and small format mobile devices
  • Unbound MEDLINE ...... Specialized MEDLINE search interace for iPhones (works for other devices too)
  • PubMed for Handhelds ...... PubMed interface optimized for all mobile devices.
  • UpToDate Online ...... Content is automatically reformatted for mobile devices
  • ePocrates for the iPhone - ...... iPhone interface to the Rx database

    • Other Good Bets for Clinical Resources

    We've identified some resources that work fairly well on iPhones and other mobile devices. To a greater or lesser extent, they present fulltext material in a concise, structured manner that facilitates rapid access to information and minimizes the need for scrolling across the screen.

  • Harrison's Online
  • CMDT 2008
  • Quick AccessMedicine
  • eMedicine
  • ACP-PIER (some scrolling needed; best viewed in landscape mode)
  • DSM-IV-TR
  • mobileMerckMedicus

    • General Web Resources/Directories for Mobile Devices

  • Palm.com Mobile Edition - (mobile.palm.com)
  • Google for PDAs - (www.google.com/pda)
  • Yahoo!Mobile - (mobile.yahoo.com)

    • Getting Your Email

    Some mail systems have a usable Webmail service but using some type of mail client on a mobile device is generally preferable. Most devices have an email client you can use to get email from different accounts. Versamail is the free email client that comes on Palm Tx and Treos. It will work with most email systems and you can configure up to 5 accounts on Versamail. Email clients also come with WindowsMobile, Blackberries and iPhone/Touches.

    General information on setting up email is available from ITS but they do not address all devices, software and mail options. These pages may provide you with enough of the details to configure your Yale email on your mobile device. Contact the ITS Help Desk for further information and assistance with accessing your Yale email account with Versamail or other mobile devices.

     

    For general assistance or questions on PDAs or library resources for mobile devices, contact ...
         Mark Gentry, Clinical Support Librarian
         Email: mark.gentry@yale.edu
         Telephone: (203) 785-2163