"Over the past ten years I have made over 14,000 house calls to more than 2,500 homebound patients outside of Chicago, Illinois. While house calls are somewhat unusual these days they used to be commonplace. As modern medical technology advanced, however, patients had to go to where the technology was located which was in the doctor’s office or the hospital. Modern microchips, however, have allowed miniaturization of medical equipment allowing blood tests, pulse oximetry, EKGs, pulmonary function tests and even ultrasounds to be done easily in the home.

My most recent technological discovery has been the value of Skyscape handheld-based medical information software.

Most of my patients are completely homebound and unable to get out to specialists. I end up dealing with a lot of complicated medical problems that I would have normally referred out. Our average age patient is 80 years old with multiple chronic problems and on several medications. I have found 5-Minute Clinical Consult, DrDrugs and iFacts (drug interactions) to be invaluable. Just today I used it to look up the antibody tests to order for Celiac disease, to reassure a patient regarding Alopecia areata and to refresh myself on Scleroderma for a new patient I was seeing. I now have infinite more upto-date information in my pocket than I had in the text books I plugged around in the car. This information has both helped and given reassurance to me as a doctor and also to my patients."