SearchPublisher and Institutes
You are here: Home :: Area NEM :: Medical science :: Human medicine
M. Reddy, W. Pratt, P. Dourish, M. M. Shabot
Sociotechnical Requirements Analysis for Clinical Systems
Keywords: Sociotechnical requirements analysis, clinical systems, computerized patient record system, collaborative work, intensive care unit
OBJECTIVE: We explore sociotechnical requirements by examining the use of a computerized patient record system in an intensive care unit of a U.S. hospital and present two sociotechnical requirements, awareness and coordination, embedded in the users' work. METHOD: The study is based on observation during seven months of the use of a computerized patient record system in a surgical intensive care unit. During that period semi-formal interviews, informal interviews were held. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A key step in the design of clinical systems is the development and analysis of requirements. However, traditional requirements analysis is based on a set of assumptions that break down in the highly collaborative, exception-filled clinical domain. Sociotechnical requirement analysis enabled the designers to gather a much richer description of the environment surrounding the computer system, highlighting awareness and coordination, embedded in the users' work.
Methods of Information in Medicine, Schattauer
Print ISSN: 0026-1270
Volume: 42, 01/2003
Pages: 437 - 444