'You have a message here': enhancing interpersonal communication in a hospital ward with location-based virtual notes

This paper aims to explore how computerized interpersonal information can be mediated through the physical environment of hospital wards. Specifically, it focuses on a communication service (location-based virtual notes) that allows hospital workers to leave short digital messages at relevant physical locations (e.g. by a patient bed), so that intended colleagues can pick them up later when entering such a location. In a work setting where personnel move between various locations mainly as a result of work priority, improving timeliness of information and reducing the number of work interruptions is essential. Our objective is to provide a set of user-motivated design guidelines that address important usability aspects of the proposed communication service.

To get end user feedback, a prototype was built and tested in simulated scenarios with real hospital workers. The material gathered from the usability testing and following interviews was reviewed to identify critical usability issues.

We identified a number of relevant usability issues concerning the applied design metaphor, posting of digital messages, role-based contact, and user control. These issues formed the basis for a set of preliminary design principles.

We view the preliminary usability guidelines as an incentive for more extensive research. Based on feedback from the test participants, we conclude that the location-based virtual notes have promising potential to improve timeliness of ad hoc information exchange between hospital workers.