Pen-based computing: is it good for health?

One of the major factors for the resistance of physicians to the use of computers in their workplace is the computer keyboard. Many physicians cannot type and do not want to type. Furthermore, working on a computer keyboard does not allow them to maintain eye contact with patients, an important success factor for any physician-patient encounter. One possible solution to the problem is to tap the friendly data input interface that is provided by pen-based computers. These devices facilitate data entry with the support of stylus-based touch screen entries, handwriting recognition and use of gestures for word and character editing. They are also unobtrusive and should serve as an excellent data entry interface tool for a clinic-based electronic medical record system. This paper reviews the current pen-based technology and describes two proven applications in healthcare.