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Activity theory and medical informatics: usability, utility, and copability
Egil Boisen1, Ann Bygholm, Ole K Hejlesen
1Dept. of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, 9220 Aalborg, Denmark.
Studies in Health Technology and Informatics
|October 6, 2004
Summary
This study introduces "copability" as a crucial metric for medical IT systems. It emphasizes assessing how well users adapt to new technology, beyond just usability and utility, for safer healthcare.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Medical IT Systems
Background:
- Healthcare increasingly relies on IT systems, making human factors critical for success.
- Current literature lacks comprehensive methods for evaluating medical IT system adoption and effectiveness.
- Existing metrics like usability and utility do not fully capture user adaptation to new healthcare technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and define a new concept, 'copability,' for evaluating medical IT systems.
- To address the gap in assessing user adaptation and coping with new healthcare IT.
- To propose a framework for understanding user interaction with medical IT beyond basic functionality.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual paper drawing on activity theory.
- Analysis of existing frameworks for evaluating IT systems in healthcare.
- Definition and proposition of the term 'copability'.
Main Results:
- Identified limitations in current 'usability' and 'utility' metrics for medical IT.
- Proposed 'copability' as a vital concept to assess user adaptation to new healthcare IT.
- Highlighted the need to evaluate how users cope with the integration of new IT into clinical workflows.
Conclusions:
- 'Copability' is essential for understanding the true impact of medical IT systems on healthcare delivery.
- Assessing user adaptation is as critical as assessing system functionality and usability.
- Further research is needed to operationalize and validate the concept of 'copability' in clinical settings.