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>I am documenting a quick reference guide for our patient accounting,
>medical records, and patient registration system. The interface is
>clunky, and the procedures have many complex variables.
Remember: good manuals cannot improve bad systems. The interface (incl
documentation) is as bad as its worst component.
>For example, if the user wants to select a patient using the Medical
>Record Selection box, these things may happen:
>
> 1. The Patient Header screen may automatically appear.
> OR
>
> 2. The Patient Enquiry screen may automatically appear.
>(The user must then select a visit and the Patient Header
>screen appears).
>
> OR
>
> 3. Nothing happens. The user must press <Tab> or
><Return>.
> THEN
> a. The Patient Header screen appears.
> OR
> b. The Patient Enquiry screen appears. (As above,
>the user must select a visit, and the Patient
>Header screen appears.)
>
>The user needs to get to the Patient Header screen to begin the
>Registration function.
>
>I've checked the archives, but the suggestion to put all of these
>variables into a bullet list doesn't work well for me because this
>information seems too dense for bullets. There also seems to be too many
>hierarchal conditions for a bullet list.
>
>Any suggestions? Our users are registration staff, most of whom are
>comfortable with computers, but do not think of themselves as
>proficient.
Use tables instead, in a basically three-column grid Do-Check-Act:
Column 1: select
Column 2: what do you get
Column 3: next step(s)
(Column 4: what do you get
etc.)
Another option is using flowcharts, but not everybody will be accustomed
to it. And it is a bit harder to maintain...
Regards
Kees de Bondt
* Firmitas, Utilitas, Venustas: AlQuin Total Quality
