Question
What's the difference between Noah 3 and Noah 4?
Answer
Noah 3 has been out for about ten years now. About 90% of professionals in our industry use Noah and it was time for an update. There have been a lot of advances in software over the years, and at HIMSA we're committed to keeping up to date with changes in technology.
The primary reason for Noah 4 was to make it an easier to use product. For example, in Noah 3 certain daily functions, such as looking up information or performing a fine-tuning session, may take 13 clicks to get you where you want to go, so we knew there was room for improvement.
We made a concerted effort to simplify the user interface with Noah 4. Now, when people see Noah 4 for the first time, their eyes light up. They say it looks better, is very intuitive and extremely easy to navigate. Every activity is based off of one screen. So instead of 13 clicks, we have one screen.
When you open Noah 4, the first thing you'll see is a good preview of the patient that you're looking at: the latest audiogram and the latest session history. You'll also be able to see other data that you've collected at a glance, such as how many audiograms there are, the dates, and how many fine-tuning sessions there are, all in a consolidated and easy-to-read format.
Noah has always had a session history, of course, but with Noah 4 it is consolidated it and easier to look at. We've also added a quick view of the latest make, model and serial number for the current devices for that patient, with room to enter comments.
Another goal in the development of Noah 4 was to help people become paperless, so we added some new tools such as a free journal module as an add-on. Noah 4 also comes with a better search utility, so you do much more fine-tuned searches.
These are a few of the highlights of Noah 4. For further information please visit our website, www.himsa.com/ We keep it updated with all the latest information on Noah 4, Noahlink, as well as other product and support information. You may also learn more at the himsa web channel on AudiologyOnline.
Scott Peterson is Vice President of New Product Development and Technical Support at HIMSA. He has been with HIMSA for 15 years in a variety of roles. In his current position he is responsible for U.S. operations, as well involved with new product design and development.