Abstract: A method of creating a surgical operative note during a specific surgical procedure on a patient. The method includes creating surgical checklists for a plurality of surgical procedures before initiation of the surgical procedure, creating an index of image specific annotations for the specific surgical procedure before initiation of the surgical procedure, obtaining an electronic template, inserting one of the surgical checklists into the template associated with the specific surgical procedure on the patient, obtaining an image of the patient, inserting the image of the patient into the electronic template, using a voice command to associate at least one of the image specific annotations with the image of the patient in the electronic template, and inserting the at least one of the image specific annotations into the electronic template adjacent the image.

Abstract: A method of configuring an operating room including providing a storage system having system preferences, providing an operating room communicator, connecting at least one configurable device to the operating room communicator, obtaining the system preferences from the storage system, and configuring settings of the at least one configurable device according to the system preferences. The system preferences can be obtained without logging into the storage system. The system preferences can also be obtained when a surgeon comes into proximity with the operating room communicator without actively interacting with the operating room communicator.

Abstract: A method of configuring an operating room including providing a storage system having system preferences, providing an operating room communicator, connecting at least one configurable device to the operating room communicator, obtaining the system preferences from the storage system, and configuring settings of the at least one configurable device according to the system preferences. The system preferences can be obtained without logging into the storage system. The system preferences can also be obtained when a surgeon comes into proximity with the operating room communicator without actively interacting with the operating room communicator.

Abstract: A method of creating a surgical operative note during a specific surgical procedure on a patient. The method includes creating surgical checklists for a plurality of surgical procedures before initiation of the surgical procedure, creating an index of image specific annotations for the specific surgical procedure before initiation of the surgical procedure, obtaining an electronic template, inserting one of the surgical checklists into the template associated with the specific surgical procedure on the patient, obtaining an image of the patient, inserting the image of the patient into the electronic template, using a voice command to associate at least one of the image specific annotations with the image of the patient in the electronic template, and inserting the at least one of the image specific annotations into the electronic template adjacent the image.