Healthcare is the most information-intensive of industries and nurses are increasingly engaged in activities that harness and manage information for the good of their patients. Reference and Data Entry were overwhelmingly perceived as the highest and best use of a handheld computing device. In order to achieve the desired outcome nurses must use the best tool for the job. And the best tool for data collection and retrieval in the handheld market is without doubt the TRGpro handheld computer.

Why TRGpro?

Why is the TRGpro the best choice for nursing? In a word, storage.

The TRGpro has 8MB of RAM, 2MB nonvolatile Flash memory and is the industry's only Palm OS device that utilizes industry standard CompactFlash (CF) cards.

Compare that to the Palm line of handheld devices which lack expandability or the Sony Clie and Handspring's Visor which both use proprietary modules that require specially-designed cards. TRGpro's use of industry standard CF cards, easily places TRGpro at the top of my list.

Geek Speak Warning!
CompactFlash is a very small removable mass storage device. CF cards weigh a half ounce and are the size of a matchbook. CompactFlash provides the lowest cost flash storage solution for capacities of 16MB and above.
CompactFlash cards are designed with flash technology; a nonvolatile storage solution that does not require a battery to retain data indefinitely. CompactFlash storage products are solid state, meaning they contain no moving parts, and provide users with much greater protection of their data than conventional magnetic disk drives. They are five to ten times more rugged and reliable than disk drives including those found in PC Card Type III products. CF cards consume only five percent of the power required by small disk drives. CF cards are also available for data storage using the Microdrive. CF I/O (Input/Output) cards are available as modems, Ethernet, serial, digital phone cards, laser scanners, BlueTooth wireless, etc.

OK, by now you're asking, What does this mean to me, and what should I do about it?

What Does It Mean To Me?

Today you can load entire drug and other reference books or patient databases on CompactFlash cards so you can immediately access necessary information at the point-of-care. Or you can load the data collected from the day's activities onto your CF card, remove it at the nursing station and load it into a CF enabled PC/Network database, and presto, your charting is done! The combination of Palm OS, CF cards and a Windows compatible file system, gives the TRGpro user maximum storage capacity and flexibility. The TRGpro with it's CompactFlash card is capable of delivering computer based clinical decision support at the point-of-care.

Information on demand Up to a Gigabyte of additional storage using an IBM Microdrive, allows you to carry an entire reference library in your lab coat pocket.

Flexibility Easily Attach: Bar-code Readers, Modems, Keyboards or Cell Phones.

PocketSpider Transforms a TRGpro into a Powerful Wireless Tool

Using Industry Standard Technology Unit doses can be bar coded for point-of-care scanning.

Lower Cost of Ownership:

The TRGpro has a slightly higher initial purchase price of $299.00 - $329.00 (depending on where you purchase) than the 8Meg Handspring Visor (the industry's cheapest product) at $250.00. However your overall cost of ownership will be less. For example you can buy a 32Meg. industry standard CompactFlash (CF) card for about the same price as the proprietary 8Meg Handspring Springboard memory card.

Industry standard memory cards also mean you'll never be stuck with a bad investment in an obsolete proprietary system - anybody remember the Sony Betamax or the Apple Newton?

Built-In Applications and Utilities

What should I do about it?

If you are in the market for a serious clinical tool then buy the TRGpro.