Time savings for clinicians using Dynamed clinical reference tool

As Joni Mitchell famously sang, you don’t know what you’ve got ‘til it’s gone. When Pinnacle clinicians lost access to high-powered clinical reference tool Dynamed for two weeks last year, Dr Roger Smith quickly realised just how true this was. 

Roger is one of two doctors at Dallas Medical Clinic in Morrinsville, a longstanding rural Waikato general practice that serves a population of around 7,000 people. 

Like all GPs, he sees patients from pediatrics to geriatrics, with a wide range of conditions and diagnoses that require up-to-date knowledge around the most recent research, best practice treatments and management. 

“Time is one of the things we don’t have a lot of,” says Roger. “I use Dynamed two or three times a week as a reliable source of credible, easy to find information.”

It wasn’t until a problem with the HealthShare licence temporarily stopped access to Dynamed that Roger realised just how much time and work the system saves in his week. 

“Alternative tools online took so much longer to filter the relevant information, and I had to use different sites to find specific things. It was very frustrating and took so much more time. 

“It really emphasised to me the ability I have with Dynamed to quickly and easily find exactly what I need.” 

Roger says he often uses Dynamed to make sure he’s up-to-date with treating certain conditions and management advice for patients. This is especially useful when he’s working after hours at home. 

“It’s great to be able to easily look up more detail about investigations I should be performing, or research a diagnosis that has come from the hospital. It has revolutionised how I get information.”

Dynamed is currently available for free to all primary and secondary care providers in Te Manawa Taki, the Pinnacle Midlands health region. 

It’s an evidence-based resource that provides access to over 12,000 clinical and drug topics, covering 35 specialty areas, for use at the point of care. 

With concise, accurate overviews for diseases and conditions, as well as recommendations for treatment, it’s a welcome solution for time-poor clinicians. The mobile app option means Dynamed can be used anywhere, regardless of internet access, making it a practical solution for rural and remote practitioners. 

Currently, most Dynamed users within HealthShare are general practice and family medicine clinicians. Initially, active use of the resource has been slower than anticipated, but more clinicians are coming on board each month. 

Roger acknowledges that when the system was first introduced, he wasn’t quick to start using it. 

“I was slow to get started, but once I did I found it incredibly helpful. I now push it as a resource to other people, it has revolutionised how I get the information I need. I ask: where are you doing your research? Because I find it excellent.”

Most-viewed topics

1. Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
2. Anemia in Adults – approach to the patient
3. COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus)
4. Hyperprolactinemia
5. Initial Newborn Assessment 

Trending searches

1. Colon cancer
2. Condition/Trigeminal-neuralgia
3. Thyroid nodule
4. Tic
5. Sarcoidosis 

The top active user had more than 80 topic views in the last 90 days. 

Read more about accessing and using DynaMed, and how to create a personal user account, via the resource page linked below.