Here are some suggestions:
1. A forum on the board specifically for new users (with threads about “how to….”). There is lots of room for input here since so many people do things differently (how many different ways are there to pull a patient’s chart, import a document, etc; I would bet that no one knows them all). Keep all this information organized well, in one place that is easily accessible.
2. Changes to the next ACUC, with more emphasis on truly “new” users. Wendell and others have expressed useful ideas in a couple of threads.
3. A user manual.
4. Updating and expanding the Wiki.
5. Creating instructional video tutorials of common tasks, expanding on the handful on the AC website.
I guess I will be playing Devil's Advocate here, so feel free to throw stones and yell at me.
I don't think a new user forum will be helpful. It just isn't the place to put How to subjects. It will soon become just a regular forum as users both new and expert will comment. For instance a How to on how to fax from the PC will soon bring a slew of the same comments as old. Maybe it is the organization of how user board compared to others I have seen. I just see the user board as a place where everyone posts whether its questions, answers, solutions or just gripes, etc. about medicine.
As far as putting more emphasis on the next ACUC on new users, I felt like this year, the "newbies" taught the experts much more than the other way around. Those who put on the ACUC have had many discussions as to how it could have been done better in the future. This is nothing against new users, but I guess I am opposed to creating a whole group of new users, medium users, long time users, etc. We have talked about taking certain sections of AC from installation all the way to progress notes, orders, ePrescribe, etc. with each speaker becoming a super expert on these sections.
As I have stated before, and I am sorry for my pessimism, but I am 100% dead set against the Wiki. I just feel that the users shouldn't be building the "Help Section" and manual. What if someone writes that to move AC from one computer to another, you copy and paste it. Maybe it gets corrected, maybe it doesn't. How much is Jon liable for this?
THE MANUAL: Yes, that is the key. There is no comprehensive user manual. Most software I use has a User Guide, which is short and to the point, an Administrator's Guide, which is 100 pages long and comprehensive. The support section also has a Knowledge base and FAQs. Finally, the user board rounds this out.
Instructional videos are an excellent idea. I still prefer the last paragraph.
Sorry, just my opinions.
