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Working IT out in medical practice: IT systems design and development as co-realisation
M J Hartswood1, R N Procter, P Rouchy
1Institute for Communicating and Collaborative Systems, School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9LW, UK. r.procter@ed.ac.uk
Methods of Information in Medicine
|October 10, 2003
Summary
Co-realisation, a novel IT design method, fosters partnerships between users and designers. This approach minimizes IT system non-adoption risks and improves healthcare technology integration.
Area of Science:
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Information Systems Design
- Sociology of Technology
Background:
- IT design often overlooks real-world application contexts.
- Bridging the gap between IT professionals and end-users is crucial for effective technology adoption.
- Existing methods like participatory design and ethnomethodology offer partial solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore situating IT design within the context of use for co-realisation of technology and 'design in use'.
- To foster a new understanding between IT professionals and users grounded in practical application challenges.
- To propose and evaluate the co-realisation method as an alternative approach.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of participatory design and ethnomethodology.
- Introduction of the novel 'co-realisation' method as a synthesis.
- Case study of IT systems design and development in a healthcare setting.
Main Results:
- The co-realisation approach can yield work-affording systems.
- User-designer relations can be effectively reformulated through this method.
- An engaged facilitator is key to unpacking technology's site-specific potential.
Conclusions:
- The case study demonstrates co-realisation in practice, enhancing user-designer relations.
- Co-realisation minimizes the risk of IT system non-adoption in healthcare.
- This method offers a productive way to address IT system failures in healthcare.