Open Dental Forum

We are implementing the OD forms feature. A few thoughts:

1. If the text field in WEB forms is about 14-16 pixels high hitting the ENTER key in any text field submits the form. People erroneously hit Enter (instead of Tab) all the time to move to the next field so allowing the Enter key to submit is a bad idea. Incidentally if a person hits the ENTER key 20 times 20 versions of the form will be submitted for that person and your front desk will have to figure out which one to use!!!

2. In Web Forms if the text field is around 19 pixels, hitting the ENTER key expands the text field (kind of like a text box) and creates a new paragraph each time Enter is hit. This solves the problem of multiple submissions but the entries can be bizarre with a patient name taking up 3 lines.

3. In Kiosk forms signing by Mouse is on by default and clicking a tiny icon activates the Topaz pad. As you know mouse signatures are not legally binding so there should be a way to switch off mouse signatures altogether so that people are forced to activate the Topaz pad. Since no one is standing and watching patients it is quite likely that a number of them sign using the mouse.

I don't think these are feature requests since almost every one will agree that they have very real legal and logistical implications for people.

Anyone? Anyone? I am hoping at least someone who has deployed kiosk and web forms can weigh in on whether these issues are real or imaginary.

As far as the kiosk signing goes I have a box next to every patient signature box that points to the pen icon like this:

<--Click the pen icon with the
mouse, then sign the signature
pad attached to the computer

I occasionally check to make sure the forms were signed by the patient (not their friend/escort/family). I haven't seen any that look like mouse signatures, and all of us that have attempted a mouse signature knows what that looks like... terrible. I can't say that no one has done it though.

As far as the webforms problems go, We haven't had the specific problem you have, but we don't have many patients that use it yet either.

bcpayne wrote:As far as the kiosk signing goes I have a box next to every patient signature box that points to the pen icon like this:

<--Click the pen icon with the
mouse, then sign the signature
pad attached to the computer

I occasionally check to make sure the forms were signed by the patient (not their friend/escort/family). I haven't seen any that look like mouse signatures, and all of us that have attempted a mouse signature knows what that looks like... terrible. I can't say that no one has done it though.

As far as the webforms problems go, We haven't had the specific problem you have, but we don't have many patients that use it yet either.

I wish the signature box were always active and that little pen didn't require a click.

boboffice wrote: I wish the signature box were always active and that little pen didn't require a click.

@Boboffice: That's exactly my point except if the signature box were completely inactive we'd be better off. Instead it is inactive for the Topaz Pad and active for the mouse so it promotes signature by mouse!

@bcpayne: Your solution is one I have considered except that the entire problem can be so easily avoided by adding the option of switching off mouse signatures in Forms at the software level. The problem with a note is that it would confuse people if you used the same form online.

Regarding web forms you should try typing into one of yours as an experiment. You'll find that the moment you hit ENTER, the form as it is up to that point is submitted. So if someone has entered wrong information and hits ENTER it is submitted without any warning. Even if the programmers at OD fix the ENTER button bug, I think the SUBMIT button should be followed by an "Are you sure? Yes/No" kind of window.

Thanks for both responses. I am hoping others, especially OD insiders, weigh in on this one.