Occupational adaptation to computerized medical information systems

This paper explores the effects of computerized medical information systems on the occupational communities of health care professionals in hospitals. Interviews were conducted with informants from the pharmacy and nursing departments at two hospitals currently using medical information systems for communicating physicians' medication orders from the nursing station to the pharmacy. Results showed changes in tasks for both pharmacy and nursing, resulting in increased interdependence between the two departments. This interdependence was accompanied by improved communication and cooperation, providing an opportunity to encourage better working relationships between departments. The use and maintenance of the common computerized data base became a superordinate goal for the two groups, with the computer system itself as the topic of communication.