User Interface
The WEBSWARE software user interface is both menu-driven and event-driven. The user logs into the system with a login name and a password, and is then presented with a menu. This menu is part of the system security -- the menu is based on the login name and password, and will vary according to the system configuration. The event-driven nature of the interface makes the system very easy to use, working like a mouse-based system but using dedicated function keys for user speed. New users can concentrate on how to use the features, rather than how to work the programs.
For example, while a patient record is on the screen, there are many functions which are accessed with one or two keystrokes. The F8 key brings up a menu of selections that apply to the current patient, such as order entry/charging, payment entry, account history, service agreement history, recall maintenance, and duplicate patient combination program. Another key, F6, brings up a window for looking up another patient by name, social security number, or a customer number. Pressing F1 will update the current patient, INSERT will insert a new patient, and DELETE will delete the current patient. This type of interface is consistently maintained throughout the entire system.
Our Windows version is currently under development. The same program code base is being used with a different user interface on the front end. Therefore, the same programs that have been used successfully for years will be reused in the background of the Windows version.
The Windows version will function both as a stand alone system and also in a networked environment, with a Unix server storing the database. So, functionally speaking, a Windows PC will be able to replace a dumb terminal while still gaining all the same benefits of a centralized database server.