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 Medical School's WiFi Network
Connecting from Outside of Yale
iPhones, Blackberries and other Smartphones
Medical Resources on your Wireless Mobile Device
Getting Your Email
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)
Open the Palm Web browser
Tap the Blazer icon in the upper left corner of your PDA to open the menu.
Under "Options", select "Preferences", then select "Advanced" and tap the "Set Proxy" button.
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
Enter your proxy username (i.e. email address) and password when prompted.
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.
Go to "Settings" and "Connections" and tap "Setup my Proxy Server".
Complete the fields with the server name (proxy.med.yale.edu) and port number (3128).
iPhones, Blackberries and other Smartphones
Accessing Medical Resources on iPhones & Blackberries
iPhones and the iPod Touch are currently closed systems. Under the standard factory configuration, neither device allows the installation of any 3rd party software applications. Current and potential iPhone users are anxiously awaiting the June 2008 release of Apples new OS which will include the ability to download and install over the air applications. Vendors including ePocrates and Unbound Medicine have expressed a clear interest in developing applications that will run on the iPhone/iPod touch as soon as possible. This has the potential to greatly expand the utility of the iPhone in the clinical arena.
For the present, iPhone users are limited to medical resources delivered over the Internet. 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 be very fast but even in best conditions, the cellular data on the AT&T Edge network is substantially slower than the newer 3G high-speed cellular broadband.
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.
iPhone and iPod touch: Setting up VPN
VPNs (virtual private networks) allow you to access Yale University Library resources by binding you to the network with a Yale IP address. This allows remote access to Web-based Yale resources from outside of Yale. VPN authentication is also needed for WiFi connection to the Medical campus WiFi network. The iPhone or iPod Touch can connect to VPNs that use the L2TP or PPTP protocols although early versions of the Touch will need to pay $20 for the 1.1.3 firmware upgrade to get the VPN client. VPN works over both Wi-Fi and EDGE network connections. For the Yale University VPN, use the PPTP protocol.
Configuring VPN Access
Under Setting: Choose General > Network > VPN and tap Settings. Select PPTP. Enter the server name vpn.yale.edu.
Other settings should be as follows:
Server: vpn.yale.edu
Account: your Netid
RSA SecurID: OFF
Encryption Level: Auto
Send all traffic: ON
Then save the settings
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.
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. Gmai, for example,l does but Yale Webmail does not. 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.
Detailed instructions for configuring Yale email on Palm VersaMail are available from ITS. These pages may provide you with enough of the details to configure Yale email on other systems. Contact the ITS Help Desk for further information and assistance with accessing your Yale email account with Versamail or other mobile devices.
Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library
