Objectives: To develop an information system using hand-held personal computers to support the work of junior doctors.
Design: A user-driven design process was used. Functionality reflected the core work of house officers (HOs) and senior house officers (SHOs); i.e. ward round lists, immediate discharge summaries, patient handover, laboratory and guidelines reference information and a personal record of clinical experience.
Setting: Salford Royal Hospital NHS Trust is a university hospital with a large acute medical case load.
Subjects: Several 'generations' of HOs and SHOs working in two of the four medical firms. Predominantly acute medical case load.
Main outcome measures: Robustness, acceptability and benefits, assessed by observations and questionnaires.
Results: The system has proved robust. It is time neutral for the juniors and minimal time is needed for training/adaptation. Most felt the system to have either made their lives easier or to have had no detrimental impact. Ward round lists and printed immediate discharge summaries have been particularly successful.
Conclusions: A hand-held IT system designed for house doctors can provide immediate, low-cost support for their activities.