The graphical case record: An interface congruent with professional work style

Abstract The incompatibility of human service practitioners' work styles and those of computerized systems is one of the main reasons for underutilization of these systems. This conceptual paper presents the graphical case record (GCR) as a computerized interface, congruent with practitioner work style, supportive of professional treatment standards, and easy to use. It supports case explication; that is, the creation of information in a form meaningful to the specific user, enabling the latter visually and mentally to structure a case for a specific task. GCR effects case explication by providing a computerized environment that structures the professional procedural environment by establishing a unified means of communication. It enables practitioners to justify decisions and presents them with new, relevant, and contextual information. This is done by using software that integrates data from different media and provides tools to navigate freely, associatively, and simply within the case record.

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