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The medical profession is slowly but steadily converting to electronic medical records (EMR). The latest incentive is a government program that offers to help finance conversion to EMR. Much of the resistance to the systems by both doctors and patients comes from how intrusive early EMR systems were to the doctor-patient relationship. To improve adoption rates, EMR vendors must design an interface that is convenient and portable. Dedicated Devices Better Than Laptops Many EMR systems depend on existing desktop and laptop computers for input, but often examination rooms don't have the space for these systems. Other professionals such as paramedics work in even smaller spaces. Dedicated input devices with custom keypads offer an alternative to make the systems easier to use. With a dedicated EMR device, users aren't forced to try to remember if they need to press F2 or Ctrl-Shift-Enter to get to the next screen. Custom keypads are clearly labeled and are easier to use than standard computer keyboards. A QWERTY keyboard will probably be part of the system but a bank of additional function keys will improve the usability of the device. Doctors, nurses, and ambulance attendants can enter patient information quickly and easily. Creating a Convenient Device The ideal EMR input device would work both as a handheld and a tabletop device. People such as hospital physicians on rounds or emergency medical technicians at accident scenes don't have convenient work surfaces. They could use the device by holding it as a clipboard. When large amounts of text need to be entered, the device could be placed on a table or desk for easy access to a QWERTY keyboard. Custom keypads would be designed so often-used keys such as menu controls would be conveniently placed for easy access. In handheld mode, keys would substitute for mouse inputs to make menu selections, turn pages in a report, or check boxes on a form. They full keyboard might be hidden, folding out when needed by the user. Handwriting and Voice Recognition Technology Many of these devices could be made smaller now that computers can convert handwriting and voice to text. Although these technologies still have some problems and increase the cost of the system, the convenience they add to a portable device should not be overlooked. Even with these technologies, custom keypads would be required for common activities such as menu selection. They keypads can be smaller, containing only function keys rather than a full keyboard, but must be designed for easy access by the user. Doctors have resisted these systems because they are difficult to learn and use. Simple custom keypads with clear labels are likely to see quicker adoption than more complicated interfaces. The complexity should be in the software, where function wizards allow users to enter complex information with a simple interface.
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Author is a freelance writer. For more information on silicone keypads, visit www.sitech-corp.com/products/.Distributed by Content Crooner
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