The Eyes Have It

A few day ago, Chris Rangel posted an interesting piece examining “why computerized information technology for the medical field often falls short”, to the point “that many physicians such as myself find that it is more efficient NOT to use these systems and instead rely on other methods of gathering patient information (such as looking in the paper chart for test results or calling the lab directly).” He also offers several ways to make these systems easier for medical service providers to use. Chris touched on issues of graphic design and user interface emphasizing customization and ease of navigation. I thought that this paper might make an interesting addition to the discussion of these important issues: Seth M. Powsner and Edward R. Tufte, “Graphical Summary of Patient Status,” The Lancet 344 (August 6, 1994), 386-389. I hope to follow up with other, more recent, references if time allows.