I had a busy day today and one of the appointments was at the eye doctor. I watched him inputing data into the computer and asked him about the system they used. As it so happens, the system was new and he was less than thrilled with it. All optometrists have to conform to a standard system of reporting and this system has all the requirements. However, it was not what the doctor was used to or really wanted. He pointed out, “If I put something in wrong, it won’t let me continue.” Now, it wasn’t that the doctor was wrong, but rather that as the doctor, he had a certain flow to the way he kept records and this system was not close. ” I can’t write where and what I want with this thing, its annoying because I have to do what it wants and not what I want to do.” Sitting next to him on the desk was a folder with handwritten notes in it. Seems redundant to me. Why can’t they input this new system, put it on an ipad, and let him write in the margins? The system gets what it wants, the doctor gets what he wants and everybody’s happy. Much happier anyway than me sitting in the dark while the doctor clicks and types and reads red messages and retypes and reclicks.
(I have paraphrased what the doctor said as my memory is not so good.)
The name of the system was RevolutionEHR. If anyone has any experience with it please let us know if this doctors reaction was a usual one!
I sadly can’t give you a screenshot of the system since I can’t buy it but here is a screen shot of the systems website.
Katie Cissell 
One issue with the design which comes to my mind immediately is that it violates the heuristic #2 which says “Match between system and the real world”.
Here is a “like” for Ramya’s comment, and a note that these systems are notoriously rude and hard to use. I wonder if it’s because of a lack of competition in the medical software market, just like Blackboard?
But what I actually wanted to say is that I’m really proud of you, Katie, for noticing these things!!!! 🙂