Determining user preferences between touch and pen data entry methods in the Tablet PC computing environment

Tablet personal computers (PCs) are becoming common in the clinical environment. In a recent survey comparing mobile devices, the Tablet PC was perceived to have made the most significant difference in the delivery of healthcare. As the use of Tablet PC technology increases, understanding which features are most usable for data entry becomes important. The modality used for data entry on the Tablet PC has evolved. Initially, most Tablet PCs required the use of a stylus or specialized pen for user interaction with the system. Recently, touch screen technology has become available on the Tablet PCs. Tablet PCs with touch screens allow the user to interact with the system using their finger instead of a pen. Little information is available is available concerning user preferences regarding the modality used for data entry on the Tablet PC. In this project we assessed the usability of the two data entry modalities by directly comparing a pen-based and a touch-based Tablet PC through focus groups. This project was part of a Duke IRB approved study designed to assess patient attitudes towards the clinical use of pharmacogenetic data.