A new survey has found that people 18-29 are more likely to use their cell phoens as personal computers, digital music players, cameras, and more. The younger generations are viewing cell phones as more than just a phone. It makes sense, these users were just 4-7 years old when the first cell phone hit the public in 1984. Some of these users may not even remember a time without cell phones. They do not view the phones as technology, but a part of life.

Ok this should say something to you. These users are your medical students, residents, and interns. With the addition of smart phones that retrieve your email and surf the web, you might start to see more and more of your users with these phones. In fact my February 8, 2006 blog post, I mentioned that the declining sales of PDAs can be attributed to the popularity of smart phones.

Will smart phones overtake PDA use in the hospital? Skyscape, a provider of medical/health software for handheld devices, tells customers to "browse the most comprehensive portfolio of trusted medical and nursing references for your mobile PDA or Smartphone device." So, medical/health software for the smart phone is available.

One possible bug I might see with smart phone use by medical professionals is that many hospitals still prohibit cell phone use on patient floors out of concern that it may interfere with medical equipment.

Definitely something to keep an eye on as cell phones evolve and as the users grow.