Automated vs manual triage for bioterrorist disaster: a blinded crossover feasibility study comparing personal digital assistant to paper-based triage

The feasibility of an automated Palm (Palm, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA) PDA triage program was demonstrated in this study. Study limitations, by the number of participants and the fact it is feasibility research, are acknowledged. Nevertheless, the research demonstrated TriageDoc was as accurate or more accurate as the manual method of triage with a tendency to require less time. Also there was no statistically significant difference between research sites with respect to accuracy or time to completion when the TriageDoc system was used. The program provided consistency and had flexibility in adapting to the various differences in triage methods at different locations. Hence, PDA programs such as TriageDoc may have potential advantages over handwritten documentation for disaster triage.