The 'macro mouse'—a love-hate object for gamers—is finding an unexpected and positive use case. It turns out that doctors conducting telehealth consultations are using mice from Razer, a brand well-known for its gaming gear.

According to a report by Tom's Hardware, a U.S.-based telehealth physician revealed on X (formerly Twitter) that they are actively using the 'Razer Naga V2 Pro' for medical tasks. The doctor behind this idea, Dr. James Ries, is the founder of Twenty Mile Medical, which provides remote medical services across much of the U.S., including urgent care, mental health, and weight management.

The Razer Naga is known as a MMORPG-dedicated mouse, armed with 12 side buttons—19 in total—and a dual-mode scroll wheel. The doctor reportedly assigned macro functions to each button to simplify complex medical workflows, allowing him to handle repetitive tasks like accessing patient records and automating medical scripts or prescriptions with a single click.

In an interview with TextExpander, Dr. Ries explained how he uses the software to standardize patient care, reduce cognitive load for medical staff, and create more accurate medical records. He noted that he creates short phrases tailored to various situations—such as routine patient communication, sinusitis, or psychiatric prescription refills—and can then trigger questions, add instructions, or write prescriptions by clicking checkboxes associated with those phrases.

Each "Master" snippet contains specific commands, and this is where the Razer Naga V2 Pro truly shines. Instead of memorizing the commands needed to execute a workflow, Dr. Ries assigned them to the customizable buttons under his right thumb. He also designated separate buttons for frequently used paragraphs, such as introductions or signatures. While one might wonder if it's easier to just type a few characters than press a button, Dr. Ries argues that once mastered, this method saves a significant amount of time.

Beyond saving time, this approach is said to reduce the doctor's cognitive load. 'Decision fatigue' is a real phenomenon across many industries and professions—a psychological state where people make poor decisions not due to a lack of training or carelessness, but simply because they are tired. Dr. Ries claims that combining text shortcuts with a mouse's macro keypad helps reduce this fatigue, as it allows him to execute master snippets without ever taking his hand off the mouse.

Dr. Ries mentioned that these tools aren't limited to gaming mice; one could also use macro pads like the Stream Deck Neo to assign commands and shortcuts. However, he stated that he still prefers the Razer Naga V2 Pro because it allows him to execute everything he needs without moving his hand away from his peripheral. He added that these principles could be applied just as effectively in other fields, such as customer service teams or law firms.