Digitizing Monitors for Clinical Data Entry When Keyboards and Mice Just Don’t Do The Job

Wacom, the big name in pen digitizer technology, is releasing two new displays targeted at the healthcare industry. The 22 inch screen is designed for radiology departments to make direct image annotation easy and intuitive, while the 16 inch model is meant more for general clinical workflow like EMR access. These monitors still require a computer to power them, and so are not mobile on their own without a cart. Nevertheless, many doctors will probably find pen entry a more natural way of taking notes on their patients.
From the press release:

Featuring a 21.5" widescreen LCD with a 1920 x 1080 resolution, the DTU-2231 allows radiologists, physicians and other medical professionals to contour directly on CT slices, take measurements of complex objects, highlight points of interest and make handwritten comments on a given image. The DTU-2231 increases control, accuracy and productivity in addition to providing users the ability to collaborate and share treatment plans electronically. This opens the door to improved communication between staff within the medical community. At a growing rate, healthcare professionals are combining Wacom’s interactive pen technology with software applications such as Eclipse, Pinnacle and RealArt to experience up to a 60 percent decrease in time requirements for image contouring and radiation volume targeting. Moreover, Wacom interactive pen displays can be found at Oregon Health & Science University, Seattle’s Swedish Medical Center and numerous other leading medical institutions.
The flexibility and ease-of-use inherent in the DTU-2231 also make it an ideal tool for Electronic Medical Records (EMR) management. From reviewing and signing legally binding patient admission, insurance and consent forms to using the pen display as an educational tool during medical school, the DTU-2231 is an elite multi-tasking device for healthcare professionals.
Created to accommodate professionals requiring advanced widescreen interactive pen display capabilities in a more compact form factor, the DTU-1631 makes the capture of EMR simple and fast for both healthcare professionals and patients. The more compact DTU-1631, a 15.6" LCD with a 1366 x 768 resolution, is a comfortable size for populating patient data such as signature capture for patient admission and consent.
"The natural and intuitive ‘pen-on-paper’ feel of the DTU-1631 paves the way for a paperless organization, allowing administrative professionals a cost-effective and streamlined way to work," continues Ueno.
Tier one healthcare organizations such as San Diego’s Sharp HealthCare and Lennox Hill of New York employ Wacom interactive pen displays for hospital-patient administrative tasks and report measurable savings.
DTU-2231 and DTU-1631 Features Include:

Cordless, Battery-free Pen: With 512 levels of pressure sensitivity, the pen provides a tip switch, two customizable side switches, an eraser switch and tether hole

Built-in USB Hub: With two user-accessible USB ports

Video Pass-Thru: DVI-I (digital or analog) input, DVI-I output and video scaler

Completely Flat Work Surface: 16:9 aspect ratio and adjustable stand; the DTU-2231 additionally offers anti-reflective treatment

Competitively priced, the Wacom DTU-2231 (USD $1,899 MSRP) and DTU-1631 (USD $1,249 MSRP) will be available for purchase in spring 2010.

Press release: Wacom Announces New Interactive Pen Displays for Healthcare Professionals …