Effects-Driven Participatory Design: Learning from Sampling Interruptions.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Organizational Studies

Background:

• Healthcare information technologies (HIT) offer benefits but require effective implementation strategies.
• Participatory design (PD) is crucial for HIT success, necessitating integration of real-world usage feedback.
• Traditional PD methods may not fully capture the dynamic nature of technology use in clinical settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe and evaluate an effects-driven PD approach.
• To assess the utility of the experience sampling method (ESM) for collecting real-use feedback in PD.
• To investigate the impact of electronic whiteboards on clinical coordination and interruptions.

Main Methods:

• An effects-driven PD approach focusing on pursued effects.
• Utilized the experience sampling method (ESM) via a custom app for data collection.
• Case study involving the implementation of electronic whiteboards at a Danish hospital.

Main Results:

• Electronic whiteboards demonstrated limited potential for reducing phone call interruptions in the operating ward.
• The combination of quantitative and qualitative ESM data facilitated assumption alignment and in-situ reflection.
• Participant-driven refinement of ESM data capture enhanced the PD process.

Conclusions:

• Effects-driven PD, incorporating real-use feedback via ESM, is vital for optimizing healthcare technology.
• ESM serves as a valuable tool for triggering reflection and informing design iterations in clinical environments.
• The study highlights the importance of continuous feedback loops in participatory design for healthcare settings.