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From: Robbie Coull
Typing skills are becoming as important as writing skills (actually I try
and type everything as my writing is wholly illegible). Perhaps we should
design and implement an Advanced Typing Life Support Course, make it
mandatory and charge £340 a place?
I agree Robbie, I have touchtyped since 1975 and it makes a huge difference.
Not only is it much faster than handwriting, but you can look at the screen
as you type, and most words are reflex actions, like playing a musical
instrument, and so don't require any active thought. Maybe this should form
part of the undergrad curriculum, assuming use of QWERTY keyboards will
continue, unless other interfaces take over...
Which brings me back to John Chambers' description of his paperless ED in
New Zealand. A practical point John, how do you actually record your history
during a long, majors type, consultation in such a paperless environment? I,
like many others, like to scribble as the patient talks. How do you input
this type of interaction into your system? Or do the doctors type it up
after the consultation? I don't think anyone in Britain has reached this
level of freedom from paper - most are using hybrid systems of some sort or
other.
Adrian Fogarty (in an archaic paper department in London)
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