Studies in health technology and informatics
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
A methodology and supply chain management inspired reference ontology for modeling healthcare teams.
Numerous studies and strategic plans are advocating more team based healthcare delivery that is facilitated by information and communication technologies (ICTs). However before we can design ICTs to support teams we need a solid conceptual model of team processes and a methodology for using such a model in healthcare settings. This paper draws upon success in the supply chain management domain to develop a reference ontology of healthcare teams and a methodology for modeling teams to instantiate the ontology in specific settings. This research can help us understand how teams function and how we can design ICTs to support teams.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
VR-based training and assessment in ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia: from error analysis to system design.
If VR-based medical training and assessment is to improve patient care and safety (i.e. a genuine health gain), it has to be based on clinically relevant measurement of performance. Metrics on errors are particularly useful for capturing and correcting undesired behaviors before they occur in the operating room. However, translating clinically relevant metrics and errors into meaningful system design is a challenging process. This paper discusses how an existing task and error analysis was translated into the system design of a VR-based training and assessment environment for Ultrasound Guided Regional Anesthesia (UGRA).
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
A student-centred electronic health record system for clinical education.
Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems are an increasingly important feature of the national healthcare system [1]. However, little research has investigated the impact this will have on medical students' learning. As part of an innovative technology platform for a new masters level program in medicine, we are developing a student-centred EHR system for clinical education. A prototype was trialed with medical students over several weeks during 2010. This paper reports on the findings of the trial, which had the overall aim of assisting our understanding of how trainee doctors might use an EHR system for learning and communication in a clinical setting. ⋯ Medical students in this pilot study identified a number of educational, practical and administrative advantages that the student-centred EHR system offered over their existing ad-hoc procedures for recording patient encounters. Findings from this preliminary study point to the need to introduce and instruct students' on the use of EHR systems from their earliest clinical encounters, and to closely integrate learning activities based on the EHR system with established learning objectives. Further research is required to evaluate the impact of student-centred EHR systems on learning outcomes.
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Computerized alerts provided by health care information systems have been shown to enhance clinical practice. However, clinicians still override more than half of the alerts. This indicates that certain aspects of alerts need improvement to fulfill their purpose of supporting clinicians in decision making. ⋯ Alert message contents that lack clinical importance or provide incorrect texts increase alert non-adherence. Few studies have yet focused on the impact of alert specifications on clinicians' adherence. A research agenda is needed on alert specifications and their impact on clinicians' adherence in order to develop alerts that truly support clinician decision making.
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Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
Information and communication needs of healthcare workers in the perioperative domain.
Perioperative work requires the collaborative efforts of a multitude of actors. Coordinating such collaboration is challenging, and coordination breakdowns may be very expensive and jeopardize patient safety. ⋯ While just-in-time notifications sufficed for some, others were dependent on projections to provide high quality and efficient care. Finally, information on current status and support in projecting the future unfolding of events could improve actors situated coordination capabilities.