Design of an Information System for Palliative Care: User Analysis

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Palliative Care
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Palliative care information systems require understanding user demographics and technology literacy.
• Assessing the needs of both patients and caregivers is crucial for system design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore demographic factors of palliative care information system users.
• To assess the knowledge of information and communication technologies (ICT) among potential users.

Main Methods:

• The Task, User, Representation, Functionality (TURF) framework was used.
• A survey was administered to patients and caregivers in a palliative care setting.
• Characterization of potential users was performed.

Main Results:

• 35 patients and 39 caregivers were surveyed.
• The majority of participants were women from urban, middle-income backgrounds.
• Caregivers demonstrated higher ICT usage compared to patients.

Conclusions:

• Palliative care information systems should be designed with caregivers' needs in mind.
• Targeting users with lower technology adoption challenges is recommended.
• ICT tools can significantly enhance palliative care delivery.