Efforts to measure the difference did not yield much precision. Comparing the application to other methods of documenting a history and physical is very subjective. As a result, a foot race type of test is not adequate. A time factor may be recognized, but other facets have to be considered such as how the system is used, what output is given when both systems finish and how much data is captured, as well as the quality or usefulness of the data. Users must take a brief period of time to learn the screens prior to using the program on the job.
Familiarity easily allows the user to assimilate the tool into clinical work patterns.
Beta testing has helped in understanding how to evaluate the results of the System Test. Depending on how the application is used, the physician interview of the patient may be very short. Consequently, the history and physical record my also be short. However, when a complete history and physical is done from an extensive examination of the patient, the savings that accrue is better realized. In another situation, more than one person might be taking data on a patient.