title: Dexter: a tool to facilitate impairment ratings.
abstract: Calculating impairment in burn patients is crucial to understanding outcome. However, it is rarely reported after burns, presumably because the process of calculating impairment ratings is complicated and tedious. Computerized systems have been developed that facilitate the process, but it has not been established in burn patients that these systems reduce the time required to calculate impairment. We evaluated the Dexter Evaluation and Therapy System by Cedaron Medical Inc (Davis, CA). A sample of 10 manually recorded ratings was compared with 10 performed on the Dexter. Mean time for the manual technique was 65 +/- 35 minutes versus 37 +/- 13 minutes for the Dexter (P < .05, Mann-Whitney). The time taken to perform impairment ratings in burn survivors is significantly reduced by the use of the Dexter system. Time saving occurs primarily at three points: (1) electronic data entry directly from the measuring instruments, (2) compilation of data, and (3) rapid generation of reports.
authors.affiliation: University of Washington Burn Center at Harborview, University of WA, Seattle 98104, USA.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Engrav
authors.forename: N B
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Vedder
authors.forename: N S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Gibran
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Esselman
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Costa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002056:Burns / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing / Q000295:instrumentation; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000295:instrumentation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011596:Psychomotor Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology; D020886:Somatosensory Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices