Cool Technology of the Week

As BIDMC creates automated workflows, moving from a hybrid paper-electronic record to a completely electronic record, we are supporting multiple approaches to capture the data.   We use electronic forms, web-based structured documentation, voice recognition, PDF files with metadata that inserts them into the correct record, and scanning.

Today, Ricoh introduced the eWriter Solution, a combination digital clipboard and cloud based solution for capturing structured data such as consents, patient intake information, and home care data.   It uses an e-Ink display with WiFi/3G/GPS built in and a 20 hour battery life.

The idea is simple - when forms are created, they have an appearance just like paper using the same display as the Kindle.   A stylus is used to check boxes, add free text, sign forms etc.   Data is sent to cloud servers as PDFs, XML-encoded structured data, and pen pressure/velocity metadata to provide reliable assurance that a signature is real, should forensics ever be needed.

This approach works very well for those workflows that are highly distributed in sites without significant IT support, for workers who have an affinity for paper and find the use of iPads/iPods/iPhones a challenging learning curve, and for those tasks that easily automated through the use of pre-populated forms with largely structured responses.

Gathering signatures on pre-op consents is most often done in the community setting.  Capturing consents electronically in small provider offices via a cloud-based service makes great sense.

A wireless clipboard based on the e-ink display with cloud based services to gather structured data.

That's cool!