Comments on: On the (Selective) Persistence of Paper http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/ A mixtape of medicine 2.0 and beyond Thu, 26 Jan 2012 03:26:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Elizabeth Han http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Elizabeth Han Tue, 05 Jan 2010 22:44:15 +0000 http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/#comment-39 Amazing video, Paul. Thanks! Completely agree that the significance of the tactile aspect is felt especially strongly in medicine. I like that Mistry pointed out that interaction by touch is a quality that makes you feel human, for medicine is definitely a field that has entrenched attitudes about "the human touch". Many health professionals and organizations are super-wary of any technologies that seem to trivialize face-to-face encounters and direct modes of show-and-tell. Amazing video, Paul. Thanks! Completely agree that the significance of the tactile aspect is felt especially strongly in medicine. I like that Mistry pointed out that interaction by touch is a quality that makes you feel human, for medicine is definitely a field that has entrenched attitudes about “the human touch”. Many health professionals and organizations are super-wary of any technologies that seem to trivialize face-to-face encounters and direct modes of show-and-tell.

]]> By: Paul Kishimoto http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/comment-page-1/#comment-37 Paul Kishimoto Fri, 01 Jan 2010 05:52:14 +0000 http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/#comment-37 It's not impossible to imitate the appeal of paper using technology, but historically the focus has been on developing purely virtual interfaces. No doubt you've heard of the Sixth Sense technology developed at the MIT Media Lab by Pranav Mistry. In <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/pranav_mistry_the_thrilling_potential_of_sixthsense_technology.html" rel="nofollow">this TED talk</a>, he gives some idea of the motivation behind his work (e.g. at 10:50)—to paraphrase, technology which doesn't expose a tactile interface will always fall short. To model better behaviour, he moves data into the human environment.<br><br>This may be self-evident to those conversant with HF, but most software developers (especially of clinical software) aren't. Ebooks and electronic paper are technologies that I see as key to the replacement of paper: because the way one views these displays is very similar to the way one views real paper, they feel more natural than low-contrast, backlit colour displays with limited viewing angles.<br><br>The tactile aspect also explains the popularity of haptics in surgical training. Perhaps the contrast between the virtual and the real is keener in medicine, where doctors deal with the patient's body, than in other industries where technology has been more rapidly adopted. It's not impossible to imitate the appeal of paper using technology, but historically the focus has been on developing purely virtual interfaces. No doubt you've heard of the Sixth Sense technology developed at the MIT Media Lab by Pranav Mistry. In this TED talk, he gives some idea of the motivation behind his work (e.g. at 10:50)—to paraphrase, technology which doesn't expose a tactile interface will always fall short. To model better behaviour, he moves data into the human environment.

This may be self-evident to those conversant with HF, but most software developers (especially of clinical software) aren't. Ebooks and electronic paper are technologies that I see as key to the replacement of paper: because the way one views these displays is very similar to the way one views real paper, they feel more natural than low-contrast, backlit colour displays with limited viewing angles.

The tactile aspect also explains the popularity of haptics in surgical training. Perhaps the contrast between the virtual and the real is keener in medicine, where doctors deal with the patient's body, than in other industries where technology has been more rapidly adopted.

]]> By: Elizabeth Han http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/comment-page-1/#comment-36 Elizabeth Han Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:02:01 +0000 http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/#comment-36 Great points - the paper workarounds just feel natural. Or maybe it's the most stark reminder that the much-lauded technology must be further than we think from "usable". Great points – the paper workarounds just feel natural. Or maybe it's the most stark reminder that the much-lauded technology must be further than we think from “usable”.

]]> By: Elizabeth Han http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Elizabeth Han Thu, 31 Dec 2009 13:59:00 +0000 http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/#comment-121 Great points - paper workarounds just feel natural. Or maybe it's the most stark reminder that the technology has not evolved to the point that it's truly "usable". Great points – paper workarounds just feel natural. Or maybe it’s the most stark reminder that the technology has not evolved to the point that it’s truly “usable”.

]]> By: Timothy http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/comment-page-1/#comment-35 Timothy Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:50:27 +0000 http://www.hospitalsongs.com/2009/12/26/on-the-selective-persistence-of-paper/#comment-35 Awesome blog post...I love how you format this post (and obviously the post itself). I find myself not spending enough time formating whatever I write into a presentable form for readers. My posts are like drafts. It seems like they are intended for my own reading pleasure. Regardless, onto the topic of pen and paper. I think we have been (genetically? No idea) conditioned for millennia to hold some sort of writing tools, let it be a rock or a fountain pen, and script on some sort of medium, for the next reader. It may very well be possible that we absorb better when we read from paper (or bamboo sticks). Something about holding that perfect pen and writing on that pristine sheet of paper. Just now, when I was explaining beam theory to my parents, instead of using the laptop, I elected to close the laptop and doodled on a piece of second cup napkin, using the lid of my laptop as a surface. Lastly, merry Christmas and happy new year. Enjoy the east coast. Awesome blog post…I love how you format this post (and obviously the post itself). I find myself not spending enough time formating whatever I write into a presentable form for readers. My posts are like drafts. It seems like they are intended for my own reading pleasure.

Regardless, onto the topic of pen and paper. I think we have been (genetically? No idea) conditioned for millennia to hold some sort of writing tools, let it be a rock or a fountain pen, and script on some sort of medium, for the next reader. It may very well be possible that we absorb better when we read from paper (or bamboo sticks).

Something about holding that perfect pen and writing on that pristine sheet of paper. Just now, when I was explaining beam theory to my parents, instead of using the laptop, I elected to close the laptop and doodled on a piece of second cup napkin, using the lid of my laptop as a surface.

Lastly, merry Christmas and happy new year. Enjoy the east coast.

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