This telehealth doctor uses a gaming mouse to streamline clinical documentation – Automated Home

A gaming mouse designed for rapid access to multiple commands has found an unusual role in telehealth documentation.

Dr. James Ries, founder of Twenty Mile Medical, uses a Razer Naga V2 Pro with its side buttons mapped to TextExpander snippets. The setup lets him activate frequently used clinical templates with his thumb while conducting remote consultations in 37 states.

How a gaming mouse entered a telehealth workflow

Dr. James Ries founded Twenty Mile Medical, a telehealth practice providing urgent care, mental health, and weight-management services in 37 states.

Ries maps the side buttons on a Razer Naga V2 Pro to symbols that activate TextExpander snippets. The setup allows him to insert frequently used templates and move through parts of his documentation workflow without memorizing multiple keyboard shortcuts.

Why button density matters in clinical work

The Razer Naga V2 Pro includes interchangeable side plates with 2, 6, or 12 buttons. Razer lists 19 programmable buttons and up to 22 programmable controls, including scroll-wheel functions.

Ries uses the 12-button plate as a compact shortcut system for frequently used TextExpander templates. This reduces the number of keyboard commands he must remember and the amount of repetitive text he types during his own telehealth workflow.

Ries builds large reusable TextExpander snippets containing structured questions, instructions, and messaging for common patient scenarios. He activates the templates through buttons on his gaming mouse.

TextExpander describes them as “monster snippets” because they combine multiple parts of a workflow in a single interactive template, including fill-in fields, optional sections, and prewritten text.

Why gaming hardware can fit professional workflows

Although the Naga V2 Pro was designed for gaming, its programmable buttons can also be assigned to shortcuts used in other software.

In Ries’ setup, those buttons activate documentation templates without requiring him to enter a longer abbreviation or recall a keyboard combination. He says the arrangement makes TextExpander easier to use during his telehealth visits.

The Razer Naga V2 Pro has interchangeable side plates with 2, 6, and 12 buttons, allowing users to select a layout suited to different games or shortcut configurations.

It also includes Razer’s HyperScroll Pro Wheel, which supports several scrolling modes and a total of 19 programmable buttons. Those features allow the mouse to serve as both a customizable shortcut controller and a gaming peripheral.

Clinical documentation is a substantial part of physicians’ work, whether care is delivered in person or remotely. Records may include the patient’s history, assessment, treatment plan, medications, and follow-up instructions, depending on the encounter.

Little-known fact: A 2025 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine reported that physicians’ work remains heavily centered on electronic health records. However, the frequently cited figure of 4.5 hours refers to a 2017 study of family physicians’ EHR use during scheduled clinic hours, not a 2025 review.

Macros and structured clinical templates

Text-expansion tools can insert reusable blocks of approved text from a short abbreviation or shortcut. Healthcare teams may use these templates to make recurring communications more consistent and reduce repetitive typing.

In Dr. Ries’ setup, buttons on the gaming mouse activate symbols assigned to his TextExpander snippets, effectively turning the mouse into a shortcut controller for documentation.

Keeping hand movements within a single device reduces constant switching between the keyboard and mouse, which can lower physical strain during long telehealth sessions for clinicians.

The cognitive benefit is equally important because fewer tool changes allow doctors to maintain focus on patient communication rather than on interface management tasks during real-time consultations today.

Little-known fact: TextExpander publishes estimated time-saving statistics for its users, but the claim that users saved more than 1.38 million workdays in 2025 and averaged 57 hours each could not be verified from its current published materials.

Could other devices replace the mouse?

While the gaming mouse is a striking example, similar productivity gains can be achieved using macro pads such as Stream Deck-style controllers that offer visual shortcut interfaces.

The key insight is not the device itself but the ability to map complex repetitive workflows into single actions that reduce friction in professional software environments today.

Healthcare tech automation trend

Healthcare systems are rapidly adopting automation tools that reduce repetitive administrative work, allowing clinicians to focus more on patient interaction and decision-making in clinical settings today.

Tools like programmable mice, macro pads, and text expansion software are converging into a single ecosystem of productivity enhancement across medical and technical fields in practice settings.

What this means for future smart peripherals

The use of a gaming mouse in clinical telehealth workflows signals a broader shift in how peripheral devices are evaluated, with emphasis shifting toward programmable flexibility rather than traditional category definitions such as gaming or office hardware.

As software-driven work becomes more dominant across industries, tools once confined to niche gaming communities are increasingly being reassigned to professional roles where speed and repeatability are critical.

This trend suggests that future smart peripherals may be defined less by their branding and more by how effectively they integrate into workflow automation systems in practice.

TLDR

• Telehealth doctor Dr. James Ries uses a Razer Naga V2 Pro gaming mouse with programmable buttons mapped to TextExpander snippets to speed clinical documentation.
• Programmable gaming mice like the Razer Naga V2 Pro provide up to 19 inputs that can replace repetitive keyboard actions in structured clinical workflows efficiently today.
• The workflow combines TextExpander macros and mouse buttons, turning single clicks into large clinical templates that reduce cognitive load and repetitive typing for clinicians across visits.
• Beyond gaming, high-input devices are increasingly used in telehealth and other software-heavy fields where speed, consistency, and automation matter most in modern workflows today.

This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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