TRANSFORMING INFORMATION USE IN PREVENTIVE MEDICINE - LEARNING TO BALANCE TECHNOLOGY WITH THE ART OF CARING

CompuHx is an Interactive Health Appraisal System (IHAPS) used in the examining room to record patient information, assist in diagnosis, an d provide a legible summary of findings. This paper describes Phase I of a longitudinal study in which 22 examiners (five system users and 1 7 non-users) responded to detailed surveys and interviews about the sy stem. Findings indicated that both users and non-users had mixed feeli ngs about the system's ease of use and impact on their jobs, but agree d that it would have value for their practice. Underlying their accept ance of the system was a common concern for maintaining a caring relat ionship with patients and not allowing computer technology to deperson alize the examining room. Examiners also expressed concerns about the implementation process.