Using the time and motion method to study clinical work processes and workflow: methodological inconsistencies and a...

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Workflow Analysis
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Time and motion (T&M) research is crucial for assessing health IT's impact on clinical workflows.
• Existing T&M studies exhibit significant inconsistencies in design, conduct, and reporting.
• These inconsistencies hinder research quality and the generalizability of findings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify methods for improving the consistency of T&M research in health informatics.
• To develop a standardized approach for T&M studies.
• To facilitate cross-study synthesis and knowledge accumulation in the field.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of empirical studies using the T&M approach from 1990-2010.
• Focus on studies examining health IT implementation's impact on clinical work processes.
• Development of a checklist based on commonalities and divergences in existing research.

Main Results:

• A checklist, STAMP (Suggested Time And Motion Procedures), was created.
• STAMP includes a minimum of 29 data/information elements across eight key areas.
• Three supplemental elements are provided in an 'Ancillary Data' section.

Conclusions:

• Standardization is needed to improve T&M research consistency in health informatics.
• The STAMP checklist offers a framework for more compatible and comparable T&M research.
• Implementing STAMP can enhance the reliability and generalizability of findings on health IT's clinical impact.