Human-computer interaction reflected in the design of user interfaces for general practitioners.
OBJECTIVE
To address the problem of properly built health information systems in general practice as an important issue for their approval and use in clinical practice. We present how a national general practitioner (GP) network was built, put in practice and several results of its activity seen from the clinician's and the software application team's points of view.


METHODS
We used a multi-level incremental development appropriate for the conditions of the required information system. After the development of the first version of the software components (based on rapid prototyping) of the sentinel network, a questionnaire addressed the needs and improvements required by the health professionals. Based on the answers, the functionality of the system and the interface were improved regarding the real needs expressed by the end-users.


RESULTS
The network is functional and the collected data from the network are being processed using statistical methods. The academic software team developed a GP application that is well received by the GPs in the network, as resulted from the survey and discussions during the training period. As an added confirmation, several GPs outside the network enrolled after seeing the software at work. Another confirmation that we did a good job was that after the final presentation of the results of the project a representative from the Romanian Society for Cardiology expressed the wish of this society to access the data yielded by the network.
Stoicu-Tivadar
Lacramioara
L
Faculty of Automation and Computers, University Politehnica Timisoara, Bd. V. Parvan, No. 2, 300223 Timisoara, Romania. stoicu@aut.utt.ro
Stoicu-Tivadar
Vasile
V
D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D005194:Family Practice / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008328:Man-Machine Systems; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D019114:Remote Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012383:Romania; D012985:Software Design; D014584:User-Computer Interface