Instant messaging at the hospital: supporting articulation work?

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Clinical Communication Systems
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Modern clinical environments face challenges with fragmented work requiring significant coordination.
• Computer systems offer potential solutions for supporting complex healthcare articulation work.
• This study examines instant messaging's role in facilitating articulation work within a hospital setting.

Purpose of the Study:

• Characterize instant messaging communication patterns (message volume, length, timing, participant numbers).
• Analyze message content to identify the types of articulation work supported by instant messaging.
• Evaluate instant messaging as a tool for enhancing coordination in hospital environments.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of one month's worth of instant messages.
• Data collected from a perioperative coordination and communication system at a Danish hospital.

Main Results:

• Instant messaging is extensively used for articulation work, predominantly via short, conversational exchanges.
• Communication frequently concerns patient care, specifically coordination and logistics.
• All healthcare professionals within the perioperative domain utilize instant messaging.

Conclusions:

• Articulation work and clinical work are intrinsically linked in practice.
• Rigid workflows and predefined messages are insufficient for supporting collaborative clinical communication.
• Flexible communication systems are crucial for effective clinical collaboration.