Computerizing medical records: software criteria for systems to document patient encounters.

It is difficult to design and build computer systems to document medical care, especially if the entries are to be made by health care professionals. Not all software approaches are equally well suited to the task. Twenty-one specific software characteristics were identified that promote efficient development and support clinical needs. Using a software tool that satisfied these characteristics, we developed a computerized medical chart system that physicians can use to write notes and document patient encounters. The success of this system was due to a good fit between the basic capabilities of the software approach and the requirements of the project. These criteria can serve as the starting point for evaluating or developing other software applications that depend on physician input of clinical information.