Comparison of alphabetical versus categorical display format for medication order item in a simulated touch screen anesthesia information management system: an experiment in cliniciancomputer interaction in anesthesia (BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making)

Background: Anesthesia information management system (AIMS) records should be designed andconfigured to facilitate the accurate and prompt recording of multiple drugs administeredcoincidentally or in rapid succession. Methods: We proposed two touch-screen display formats for use with our department`s new EPICtouch-screen AIMS. In one format, medication `buttons` were arranged in alphabetical order(i.e. A-C, D-H etc.). In the other, buttons were arranged in categories (Common, Fluids,Cardiovascular, Coagulation etc.). Both formats were modeled on an iPad screen to resemblethe AIMS interface. Anesthesia residents, anesthesiologists, and Certified Registered NurseAnesthetists (n = 60) were then asked to find and touch the correct buttons for a series ofmedications whose names were displayed to the side of the item screen. The number ofentries made within 2 minutes was recorded. This was done 3 times for each format, with the1st format chosen randomly. Data were analyzed from the third trials with each format tominimize differences in learning. Results: The categorical format had a mean of 5.6 more drugs entered using the categorical method intwo minutes than the alphabetical format (95% confidence interval [CI] 4.5 to 6.8, P