Can Keyboard Shortcuts Save the Clinicians’ Time?
The Paved Path
What is an easy way to deal with computers? To have descriptive labeled icons that you can easily click on to get the job done. A technology named Graphical User Interface (GUI). It’s pretty simple and self-explanatory. For example, to open Microsoft Word (assuming you don’t have a desktop shortcut and that you have a Windows computer), you will click on the start menu and scroll through the list of applications till you find it. This is the easy and paved path for everyone to follow. It is interesting that in my version, it was named (Word) rather than (Microsoft Word). So, it was a longer scroll for me. Keyboard shortcuts can save a lot of time and provide a shorter path to get the job done.
Fitt’s Law – NOT Keyboard Shortcuts
This logical concept in Human-Computer Interaction mentions that the time it takes for you to get the job done is dependent on the distance you need to move your cursor divided by the size of the icon. The shorter the distance and the bigger the icon, the faster you will get the job done.
Keep in mind that this doesn’t describe the job requiring several steps. In the above-mentioned example, you will move the cursor first to the start menu, then scroll down till finding the desired icon, and then click on it.
Think as a Coder – Keyboard Shortcuts
Imagine that you are the programmer who is coding this system. I trust you want to simplify things (at least, this is your desire) while including as many functionalities as possible. You also would like the expert and the beginner users to use it, each at their level. Therefore, you will add keyboard shortcut keys for the ones using them to get the job done fast. Also, you will have nicely designed icons placed logically so they can easily find them.
Think about it; let’s look at the path to open the Word application. You will move your cursor to the start menu, click on it, and scroll down to the application. As I imagined, it was sorted alphabetically, the programmers don’t want to confuse you. Interestingly, I went down to the (M) as I thought it would be under (Microsoft Word). Surprisingly, it wasn’t there; I found it in (Word) at the far end of the menu J.
What’s a shorter path? If you click on the Windows icon on your keyboard at the bottom row, right beside the space bar, it will pop up. Type (w), the search functionality will turn on and it will search for the words starting with (w) in your start menu. Word will come up, and for me, it was the first icon to show up. Just click Enter, and it will work. In the real-life setting, I click on 3 keyboard keys fast: Windows→ W → Enter.
An Example from the Mac World
I have had Windows PCs and laptops for years, and I continue to use them at work. I have a personal Mac, and I truly love it. Let’s see how you can do these jobs in the Mac world. The longer path is to click on the finer, click on the Applications icon in the left-sided pane, and then scroll down to Microsoft Word and click it.
A shortcut path is to click (cmd + space bar) followed by (w). Microsoft Word will pop up, and click enter. It takes a couple of seconds. When you click the space bar while pressing on the command key, the spotlight search bar will pop up. It’s a genius tool to search for anything on your Mac computer. It actually searches the words inside your documents, your contacts, truly everything. When you click (w), the applications will pop up first.
Our brains are phenomenal
Most of us drive cars. Remember the days when you learned how to drive? My first car had a manual transmission; it was not the easiest. Do you recall adjusting to the following car? Everything can be a bit difficult upfront, but once the brain adapts, it eventually becomes second nature.
The same applies to the keyboard shortcuts, it can take some effort upfront to learn them. Once you start using them frequently, they will happen automatically, and you will reap the benefits of getting the jobs done faster.
The Compound Effect
The secret to efficiency is not magic; it is the ability to make small changes in the right path consistently. And I would like to highlight here that consistency is the core of it. It is not the big blocks that will make the biggest impact, but rather the small changes you make with every patient.
A 1-Page List of Keyboard Shortcuts
Do you want a 1-page list of common keyboard shortcuts? I made a printable one so that you can have it handy. If you sign up for the email list here, you will get it. One for Windows and another for Mac, whatever you’re using.
A Comprehensive System
Efficiency at work is a system rather than a single thing. Electronic Health Record systems are a single part of it. If you would like additional sources, consider reading No Work After Hours; it provides an overview of such a foundation.
