Rating: A+
STAT!-Ref is a state of the art cd-rom program that busy physicians rapid access to the medical literature and core medical texts. The flexibility and speed of STAT!-Ref is what makes this program outstanding. The complete STAT!-Ref cd-rom contains over two dozen complete medical texts (including tables) and selected core MEDLINE journal citations (usually including the abstracts). The program works on both the PC and Macintosh platforms. It can also be installed onto a network.
One of the best features of STAT!-Ref is price. The starter package includes rapid access to six different medical texts- The Merck Manual, Current Medial Diagnosis & Treatment, Current Surgical Diagnosis and Treatment, Current Pediatric Diagnosis and Treatment, Current Emergency Diagnosis and Treatment, and Current Obstetrics & Gynaecology Diagnosis and Treatment. Priced separately, these books would cost over $300 US. Buying the STAT!-Ref system at $199.95 US would save you over 33%!
The price advantage is not the only outstanding feature of STAT!-Ref. I liked the program's speed of use especially. First of all, it is easily and quickly installed. Secondly, finding answers to clinical questions is lightning quick. When I was a resident, I had several opportunities to race other physicians in trying to locate answers to clinical questions. I would use the STAT!-Ref system, and they would look up things in books. I routinely fould the answer minutes faster than they did. The search program in STAT!-Ref is efficient and easy to use. If you prefer, you can also look things up through the table of contents. Either way, the program runs quickly, and curious minds don't need to wait long for answers. Now that I'm in private practice, I really appreciate the time I save by using STAT!-Ref.
Another feature I like about STAT!-Ref is the program's flexibility. You can order several different packages of medical texts, depending upon your specialty. For example, there is a package for paediatricians that includes Rudolph's Pediatrics, Physician's GenRx, The Merck Manual, Current Pediatric Diagnosis & Treatment, and paediatric MEDLINE citations & abstracts. Iindividual titles may also be added to any package on the STAT!-Ref medical information CD. These titles range from Williams Obstetrics to The Medical Letter (1988-present) to Stein Internal Medicine to Geriatric Medicine.
I gave STAT!-Ref my highest rating for a good reason, the main one being speed of use. I like to stay up-to-date, and STAT!-Ref allows me to do that quickly, easily, and for a low price. More information about this program can be obtained on-line at http://www.tetondata.com.