The problem with a lot of 'solutions' to make us go paperless is that they fundamentally ignore the reasons why people print things off in the first place (apart from not having a computer, or sheer habit). The main ones that spring immediately to mind are:

 

- Orientation. It is not convenient to read the bulk of text-based documents, which are 'portrait', on a 'landscape' computer screen.

 

- Portability. Can I take it with me to read on the bus / train?

 

- Annotation. The simplest way to annotate documents, especially in a 'live' situation such as a meeting or conference, is to scribble notes by hand. This also related to portability, if you want to jot down your thoughts while in transit or off-site. 

 

Perhaps the only way that these factors can be duplicated in a non-print environment is by using a tablet PC with touch-sensitivity and stylus, and a rotatable screen that can display in either portrait or landscape. I say a 'tablet PC' rather than the current crop of glorified mobile phones or e-book readers, because this is really the only option powerful and versatile enough to cope with the full version of Adobe Acrobat (or equivalent) and MS Office apps (or equivalent) in which the majority of documents are created, and to allow display and annotation at full document / text sizes. And this kind of hardware does not come cheap ...

 

Regards,

Rachel.

 

 

 

 

 

Rachel Hardiman
Records Manager
NHS Business Services Authority
Bridge House
152 Pilgrim Street
Newcastle upon Tyne
NE1 6SN

 

Tel: 0191 203 5351
Mob: 07776 498 791
Fax: 0191 244 6842

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