www.opisderm.com
Surgical tracking system designed to streamline procedure
logging for Dermatology residents.
Getting
Started With Opis
OPIS is provided at no charge to Dermatology
residents and program directors. If you would like to
get started with OPIS, sign up at www.opisderm.com
Or call 1-877-969-OPIS
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OPIS is an innovative, computer-based
surgical tracking system designed to streamline procedure logging
for Dermatology residents. This unique software program, created
specifically for Dermatology, is the first to enable residents
to log surgical data in a standardized system and generate reports
in the current format required by the American Board of Dermatology.
We are fortunate to be learning and practicing Dermatology in
the information age. Unfortunately, the greatest challenge is
first sorting through all relevant information and then having
it readily available when needed. Handheld computers, such as
those running operating systems from Palm and Microsoft, are
becoming increasingly common in the healthcare field for this
purpose. They provide a simple, portable, convenient, and secure
medium to quickly access large volumes of reference materials.
Survey research done by a major technology/internet firm (Harris
Interactive, August 2001) reports that upwards of 40% of physicians
will be carrying handheld computers by the year 2004. A 2001
survey of Dermatology residents in training within US accredited
training programs showed that between 85% are familiar with
handheld computers or use them on a daily basis (Bhatia et al,
unpublished data). Our own informal survey of medical students
at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA showed
that approximately 70% carry handheld computers and use them
to reference medically-related educational material. In short,
this truly is the “wave of the future” for distributing
medical content.
Derm.md has designed and implemented, on the educational level,
a surgical procedure log system for handheld computers. It simplifies
and standardizes data entry, and also synchronizes the data
with software on a local personal computer. Reports are automatically
generated in the existing 2002 American Board of Dermatology
Surgical Log format. Furthermore, data can be transmitted to
a centralized database, where it can be analyzed by administrators
such as program directors. Patient confidentiality is preserved
by automatic removal of personal identifiers prior to transmission
of data.
Since the initial development of this system, it has been refined
and disseminated for use by Dermatology residents at several
training institutions of various sizes. We propose to implement
this on a national scale, which would allow for the collection
of aggregate data to support the increasingly important role
that Dermatologists play in performing surgical procedures.
Our work is the first reported and presented handheld computer-based
solution for Dermatology, having received praise from such audiences
as the Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group, members of the American
Board of Dermatology, members of the American Society for Dermatologic
Surgery and members of the American College of Mohs Micrographic
Surgery and Cutaneous Oncology. It is a low-cost, portable solution
for changing documentation needs. Our wish is to have this technology
adopted by these organizations, as well as any other organizations
which require procedural logging and an efficient system for
data submission as well as ease of data analysis.
Residents:
Streamline Procedure Tracking
"the simple,
innovative way to log and track dermatology surgeries"
Residents can log and access data on the web or on a PDA throughout
the academic year. Procedure logging with OPIS is simple and
efficient:
- Use OPIS with any desktop computer with internet access.
- Use OPIS on a PDA for portability and convenience.
- Log surgical procedures promptly and keep the information
readily available.
- Dermatology-specific pull-down menus are designed to capture
all surgical data required by residency programs.
- Reports are generated in the accepted format of the American
Board of Dermatology.
- Procedure logs can be reviewed by your Program Director
to monitor your progress.
- You can assess your own progress in real time.
Program Directors: Track Progress Throughout The Year
"state-of-the-art convenience for residents and program
directors"
OPIS is also a useful tool for assessing residents’ progress
throughout the academic year. Incorporating this product into
Dermatology programs enables program directors to simplify procedure
logging for residents. Using OPIS, program directors will be
able to:
- Conveniently track and review individual logs or the logs
of all their residents.
- Verify surgical training of their residents.
- Facilitate analysis of the surgical procedure training
provided by their program.
Not only is OPIS the first of its kind, but it offers proven
effectiveness. It was designed with feedback from members of
the Dermatology Teachers Exchange Group, the American Board
of Dermatology, the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery,
and the American College of Mohs Micrographic Surgery and Cutaneous
Oncology. Moreover, it has been successfully tested in several
Dermatology Residency Programs. |
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