HIPPA and PDA use in the workplace

SE How would HIPPA laws affect personal patient information stored in PDAs? Personal patient information such as name, date of birth, and medical/patient number would violate patient confidentiality, especially if the PDA device was lost or stolen. The use of password or encryption software with hand-held devices would need to be incorporated just like it is for desktop computers used in clinics and hospitals. Other institutional policies regarding hand-held devices would need to be incorporated. Nurses, physicians and pharmacists may need to have PDA's supplied to them by their employer instead of using their own hand-held device, especially if HIPPA rules apply and they are using it to access and enter clinical information for patients receiving care.