Handheld medical content company Skyscape's latest product, ARTbeat, is a channel offering for disseminating medical information.

According to the company, ARTbeat enables practitioners to dynamically access the latest medical news such as drug and disease alerts, as well as frequently updated information such as drug weeklies and journal subscriptions via a PDA. Information flowing into ARTbeat channels automatically integrate with other channel information and with traditional Skyscrape reference content on the handheld.

Making medical data on a PDA dynamic is important according to Jocelyn Young, program manager, IDC, "... providing static information via point of care solutions is not enough. Enabling medical professionals to access dynamic information in the context of decision making best demonstrates the full potential of PDAs in a medical setting."

The initial ARTbeat channels are:

• MedWatch (free) - The Food & Drug Administration's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program provides clinical information about safety issues involving medical products including prescription & over-the-counter drugs, biologics, medical & radiation-emitting devices and special nutritional products & dietary supplements.

• Drug News Weekly - A weekly that features brief articles on the latest in critical drug information and news including new drug approvals, indications and dose forms, Rx to OTC switches, newly reported interactions and adverse reactions, plus news scans from national media reports.

• DrugLink - A monthly newsletter that provides abstracts of drug-related articles from various journals.

• CDC Spotlights (free)- A weekly update from the Centers for Disease Control website to provide users with the latest information on SARS, Monkeypox and other potentially rapidly-spreading diseases, including bio-terrorism agents.

• Connections (free) - A Skyscape channel that provides users with Tips & Tricks, Store Specials, New Releases, Your Voice, Top Solutions and In The News sections.