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Asynchronous communication among clinical researchers: a study for systems design
John H Gennari1, Chunhua Weng, Jacqueline Benedetti
1University of Washington, Department of Medical Education, Biomedical and Health Informatics, 1959 NE Pacific St., Box 35 72 40, Seattle, WA 98195-7240, USA. gennari@u.washington.edu
International Journal of Medical Informatics
|July 19, 2005
Summary
Effective group work in healthcare requires overcoming communication barriers. This study used computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) methods to improve asynchronous collaboration on clinical trial protocols for geographically distributed teams.
Area of Science:
- Health Informatics
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Collaborative Work Systems
Background:
- Modern healthcare relies heavily on group work, but technological advancements haven't guaranteed effective communication among professionals.
- Barriers like diverse organizational cultures, varied training, and scheduling conflicts hinder efficient communication, often overwhelming technological solutions.
- Asynchronous, geographically distributed collaboration, particularly around clinical trial protocols, presents unique communication challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To apply a computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) approach to enhance communication and workflow in distributed healthcare teams.
- To identify specific communication needs and challenges within asynchronous collaboration on clinical trial protocols.
- To inform the design of systems supporting effective collaboration on evolving medical documents.
Main Methods:
- Employed observational methods to understand communication behaviors and needs in a clinical trial protocol setting.
- Utilized participatory design and iterative prototyping to develop a system aimed at improving collaboration.
- Integrated observational findings with design and prototyping cycles for a synergistic approach.
Main Results:
- Observational study provided deep insights into complex communication patterns and requirements.
- Participatory design and prototyping cycles yielded practical understanding of collaborative workflows.
- Identified key communication problems inherent in asynchronous collaboration on evolving medical documents.
Conclusions:
- The combined use of observational methods and participatory design is effective for understanding and addressing collaboration challenges.
- Specific communication issues were identified in asynchronous work around clinical trial protocols.
- Defined design desiderata for systems supporting distributed, asynchronous collaboration on dynamic medical documents.