A mobile system for recording examination data of the analysis of functional disorders of the masticatory system

Simplifying and streamlining data access and recording tasks in medical settings is an important and successful application area for mobile computing technology. An interesting research topic in this area are user-interface design concepts that allow for an optimal integration of system operation into working situations where the user is tightly involved in interactions with his physical surroundings. We describe an ongoing project that aims at developing a mobile information system which uses pen-computers for recording data of the analysis of functional disorders of the masticatory system during examination. Long-term goal of this project is the design of an interaction concept that allows for an optimal integration of the system operation into the established examination procedures. A comprehensive questionnaire for the analysis of functional disorders of the masticatory system has been developed. This questionnaire then has been structured with respect to established examination procedures and coded into a pen-computer. Experiences with a first system prototype within the scope of a limited field trial show that our approach is viable and simplifies the recording task. Future work will concentrate on a further streamlining of the user interface by providing additional task-specific graphics interaction techniques and by a detailed study of usage patterns.