MedWell Designs Wireless Paper Chart for Physicians
To "streamline" the medical records process, Westlake Village-based MedWell Group Inc. is offering physicians a variety of Internet-enabled tools, including its "Wireless Paper Chart," Ventura County Star columnist Roger Harris reports. The wireless chart, a Clio PC Companion portable computer loaded with a handwriting-recognition software system, looks like a writing tablet and allows doctors to use a stylus to write prescriptions, notes and other information directly on the screen. The information is "beamed" via a wireless network to a secure server where medical records are maintained. The wireless chart allows doctors to complete notes while talking with patients, eliminating the need for transcription and possible transcribing errors. The small computer also has cellular capabilities so physicians can access charts and records outside the office. James Coburn, MedWell's president and CEO, said, "A lot of change is going on in information technology, but doctors are not known as early adopters. We want to provide them with the latest technology, but deliver it in a way they're used to" (Harris, Ventura County Star, 4/30).
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