Screen design of a hospital information system.

As the use of computerized Medical Information Systems becomes more commonplace and more extensive, the significance of screen design also becomes more important. User acceptance, which will bridge the gap between man and the machine, and increased productivity is dependent on ease of use, clarity, and meaningfulness. This can be accomplished through careful screen design. The role of the nurse is to become familiar with this technology and to use the skills of nursing combined with good screen design to establish user friendly formats. This can be done by working in a vendor development environment, a hospital data processing department, or by working as a functional user in developing software packages for patient populations. Nurses who familiarize themselves with screen design technology are in key positions to contribute to increased staff productivity via system acceptance and maximum utilization.