Wearable Systems for Unveiling Collective Intelligence in Clinical Settings

Area of Science:

• Healthcare team dynamics
• Human-computer interaction
• Medical technology assessment

Background:

• Breakdowns in clinical teamwork, leadership, and communication can negatively impact patient safety.
• Traditional survey methods for assessing team dynamics and collective intelligence (CI) are limited in effectiveness.
• Wearable technologies present a novel approach to objectively monitor individual and group behaviors relevant to CI.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive overview of parameters for evaluating CI in clinical settings.
• To identify current and potential wearable technologies for CI assessment in healthcare.
• To analyze the working principles, advantages, and disadvantages of relevant wearable devices.

Main Methods:

• Narrative review of existing literature on CI assessment in clinical settings.
• Identification and categorization of group and individual parameters indicative of CI.
• Evaluation of wearable technologies applicable to monitoring these parameters.

Main Results:

• Wearable sensors can capture behavioral and individual features reflecting CI, such as communication patterns and engagement.
• Various wearable devices, including smartwatches and motion sensors, show potential for real-time CI monitoring.
• The review outlines specific parameters and corresponding technologies, highlighting their pros and cons.

Conclusions:

• Wearable technology offers a structured and objective approach to assessing collective intelligence in healthcare teams.
• This review provides a guide for future research and implementation of CI monitoring in medical contexts.
• Objective CI assessment using wearables can contribute to improved teamwork, performance, and patient safety.