personal digital assistant

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Related to personal digital assistant: Personal Virtual Assistant

assistant

[ah-sis´tant]

one who aids or helps another; an auxiliary.

dental assistant see dental assistant.

first assistant a physician, physician's assistant, nurse practitioner, surgical technologist, or specially trained registered professional nurse who directly assists the surgeon by handling tissue, providing exposure, using surgical instruments and equipment, suturing, and providing hemostasis.

occupational therapy assistant see occupational therapy assistant.

personal digital assistant (PDA) a small computer used to organize and easily access information; for example, clinical guidelines can be downloaded to this device.

physician assistant see physician assistant.

second assistant an individual who assists the surgeon or first assistant during an operative procedure by carrying out technical tasks such as holding retractors; this individual does not cut, clamp, or suture tissue. This role may be performed at the same time as the scrub role.

surgeon assistant (SA) see surgeon assistant.

per·son·al dig·i·tal as·sis·tant

(PDA) (pĕr'sŏn-ăl dij'i-tal ā-sis'tănt)

A palmtop computer that connects to the Internet.

Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions and Nursing © Farlex 2012

personal digital assistant

PDA

A handheld or pocket-sized computer used to store information or communicate with others.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Microsoft Corp and its industry partners, including Casio Computer Co Ltd, Compaq Computer Corp, Hewlett-Packard Co and Symbol Technologies Inc, have unveiled the Pocket PC, their next-generation personal digital assistant.

Microsoft releases Pocket PC personal digital assistant

Doctors who use Epocrates products have received a message on their personal digital assistants explaining how adverse event reporting works, as part of a Food and Drug Administration effort to increase the number of adverse event reports from doctors.

FDA pushes for adverse event reports

Passengers with Wi-Fi enabled devices--such as computers, personal digital assistants and portable gaming systems--would have access to the Internet, e-mail, virtual private networks and stored inflight entertainment using the service.

Airline tests onboard wireless Internet service

The new R/flex JADE[TM] A epoxy adhesive system is ideal for a wide range of applications including hard disk drives, cellular phones, laptop computers, personal digital assistants and semiconductor packaging applications.

Transparent flex material

Using web sites to find driving directions from one location to another has been made easier for people who are blind who use screen readers or braille displays, and for sighted people who use handheld devices, such as PDAs (personal digital assistants) or cell phones, to obtain mapping information in a text-only format.

Text-only link to Google Maps

He is concerned that the increasingly popular activity of sending messages on phones and personal digital assistants while driving can be dangerously distracting.

Driving while texting

That's the idea behind a new generation of travel-friendly personal digital assistants. Not only can they manage your contacts and download e-mail, but they can remind you where your next appointment is and tell you how to get there whether you're driving or strolling.

PDAs that get around: no cell phones, but these pocket PCs have what a traveler needs

A new wave of technology, including personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless communications, is entering the mainstream and enabling a migrating, distributed workforce as well.

With workforce on the move, flexibility is key to modern design

Acorns fund-raising manager Andy Jarrett said: "We can raise hundreds of pounds to support the care of children through recycling phones, cartridges or personal digital assistants. This means people can help life-limited children."

Setting tone for charity; EDGBASTON

The latest repeat of the electronics pattern, 80 years after the first round, has consumers once again carrying their own entertainment and communications devices into the vehicle, this time in the form of iPods, MP3 players, Blackberries and other personal digital assistants, and cell phones.

Tuning in to auto entertainment

Air New Zealand has come up with a scheme that allows passengers to use portable electronic devices, and those mobile phones and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), which can be set to a non-transmitting flight mode.

Airline News - Asia / Pacific

By providing physicians with wireless personal digital assistants (PDAs), Genesys has increased the efficiency of its operations and the quality of care for patients.

Mobile Technology: Lessons from the Medical Community, Physicians Access Patient Information via PDAs