The wireless method is more efficient and allows the physician to write and send the prescription without leaving the examination room. It also allows the physician to write and send prescriptions when away from the office. Because patient demographics are entered into the physician s existing practice management system and transmitted to the hand-held when it is docked, the physician does not have to enter any patient data. To write a prescription for a patient who has not previously been entered into the system, the user docks the hand-held in the cradle for synchronization. Also, all prescriptions are transmitted from the vendor s central computer servers either electronically or by fax to any pharmacy in the United States.
Users can also print from the hand-held to a local printer.
To generate chart documentation, the user can configure ePad to automatically print a copy of the prescription on the local computer when it transmits to the pharmacy. It also includes a Web interface that allows my staff to efficiently process prescription renewals, and a scheduling module that makes it possible to schedule patients on the computer. This schedule is viewable on the hand-held device. Its interface was designed with a focus on the physician user. Using the ePad system in our office has resulted in very positive patient feedback and increased efficiency and job satisfaction among staff.