What Are the Benefits and Drawbacks of Touchscreens for Medical Note-Taking?

If you’re a medical student or healthcare professional, you’ve probably wondered whether using a touchscreen device for taking notes is a good idea. 

I get it. There are so many sleek tablets and convertible laptops on the market with touchscreens, and it can seem appealing to ditch the keyboard and mouse. But is it the best move for your needs?

In this post, we’ll take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of touchscreen technology for medical note-taking. So, without further ado, let’s begin.

Benefits of Touchscreens for Medical Note-Taking

Here are some benefits of using touchscreens for medical note-taking:

 

Convenience and Accessibility

One of the main pros of using a touchscreen laptop in healthcare facilities for patient care note-taking is the convenience factor. Unlike traditional paper notepads or clunky laptops, most touchscreen devices today offer extreme portability and intuitive interfaces with capacitive touch screens.

You can swipe and tap to open apps and access features with minimal effort. It just feels natural to place your fingers on the screen and start writing or drawing using your stylus pen. Much easier than a physical keyboard if you ask me.

In your favorite note-taking app, you can quickly type, write, draw diagrams, and format your notes on a touchscreen. No more flipping through notebooks or searching for the right color. Everything you need is right there in one lightweight device. It’s easy to organize patient records, search electronic medical records, and sync your notes across devices too.

Notes Can Be Neater 

Typing or writing directly on capacitive touchscreens can make notes clearer and easier to read later. You can use different colors, fonts, and styles to emphasize important information. That way, your notes can be tidier. Moreover, touchscreen devices provide immediate access to patient information, improving efficiency in medical settings and patient safety.

Increased Storage Capacity

Paper takes up a ton of space. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the physical clutter.

But with a tablet or touchscreen laptop, you can have the equivalent of entire libraries at your fingertips. Hundreds of textbooks, millions of web pages, lecture recordings, images, and documents can be stored locally or accessed online.

It’s a big weight off your shoulders to find any materials you need with a quick search. 

Facilitates Active Learning

Being able to draw, annotate images, create charts/tables, and watch videos directly in your notes engages more of your senses. Capacitive screens with multi-touch capabilities enable you to interact with content more dynamically.

Notes Can Be Stored and Shared Easily

All your notes are stored on the device or cloud-based apps. You don’t have to worry about losing notebooks. And it’s simple to organize notes by course, and topic. Also, most apps also let you export, email, or share notes with study groups or instructors. 

Cost Savings

Consider how much you typically spend each semester on printing handouts and test prep materials, notebooks that you eventually fill up, extra paper, binders, file folders, pens, highlighters, index cards, sticky notes, storage containers…it adds up fast.

But with a reusable touchscreen device, you won’t need most supplies after the initial purchase. Plus, you gain access to free or discounted mobile apps for notes, textbooks, and productivity tools.

Environmental Friendly

Using less paper is better for the planet. While e-devices still have environmental impacts, not printing out or photocopying tons of handouts and notes reduces waste and energy consumption over the long term. 

Collaboration

Certain touchscreen apps make it easy for students and professionals to collaborate on notes in real-time. You can have shared notebooks or documents where multiple people can add, edit, comment on each other’s work, and chat within the notes. 

Drawbacks of Touchscreens for Medical Note-Taking

While touch screens provide many benefits, there are also some real disadvantages of using touchscreens for medical note-taking:

Battery Life and Power Issues

Frequent recharging is one of the biggest drawbacks of mobile touchscreen devices.

Tablets drain batteries much faster than non-touch laptops or desktops. This requires carrying chargers during a shift. Areas like operating rooms may lack sufficient plugs or charging stations too.

Sudden battery failures or lack of outlet access can cause problems for healthcare providers. Workflows can get disrupted if devices aren’t charged in time.

Durability and Maintenance

Touchscreens are fragile compared to traditional laptops. Tablet glass cracks easily when dropped. Repairing and replacing touchscreens is also costly compared to notebooks. Try to look for resistive touch screen. Resistive touch screens are known for their durability and resilience in medical environments. 

Ergonomics and User Fatigue

Entering notes on small screens for hours on end can strain the eyes, neck, and shoulders. Gripping slim tablets while standing or moving between patient rooms can get tiring as compared to writing at a desk.

Proper hand support, screen positioning, and usage breaks are essential for medical professionals to minimize fatigue. 

Tips for Making Touchscreen Note-Taking Work for You

• Take breaks to rest your eyes and body
• Sync notes across devices so they’re always accessible
• Experiment with different note-taking apps and methods
• Organize your notes in logical, consistent ways
• Back up your notes regularly to avoid losing work
• Turn off notifications during study times
• Use blue light filters for easier reading

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the right choice depends greatly on your needs, work style, and preferences.

The best solution is finding a middle ground, using paper for quick lecture notes, and the tablet for more formal documentation. 

No matter what you choose, make sure your note-taking methods enhance your learning. Stay self-aware of habits that may introduce pitfalls like distraction or clutter and adjust your tools accordingly. 

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which is better, handwritten or digital notes?

There’s no definitive “better” option. Each method has pros and cons. It largely comes down to personal preference and learning style. Many people actually use a combination of handwritten and digital notes.

2. Are touchscreens suitable for math, science, and diagram-heavy courses?

Yes, you can handwrite formulas, draw diagrams, and annotate graphs on a touchscreen easily. There are also equation editors and shape tools for more precision. Or you can hand draw and then convert writing to text.

3. Is it easy to organize and search digital notes?

It’s very easy to use digital folders, tags, and keywords to organize notes by class, topic, and date. Search tools allow you to quickly find specific words or sections. 

4. How do you ensure privacy with digital notes?

Use apps that allow you to password-protect notes and restrict sharing capabilities. Disable cloud syncing features if privacy is a major concern.

5. Don’t touchscreens cause a lot of unwanted distractions?

They definitely can. It’s important to silence notifications, close distracting apps and browser windows, and stay focused during lectures. Self-discipline goes a long way too.

6. Can I use a tablet and paper notebook together?

Absolutely! Many students take handwritten notes and then scan or type them into digital notes later. Or you can take rough paper notes and rewrite them neatly on a tablet. 

7. Which apps are best for notetaking on touchscreens?

Some popular choices are Evernote, OneNote, Notability, GoodNotes, and Notepad+. Each has different features, try out a few free versions to find one you like.