Computer-facilitated collaboration: experiences building SNOMED-RT

Area of Science:

• Software Engineering
• Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Collaborative development often suffers from reduced efficiency due to communication and integration challenges.
• Despite inefficiencies, collaboration can lead to more versatile products by integrating diverse perspectives.
• Duplication of effort can make collaboration more cost-effective in certain scenarios.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the use of computer-facilitated collaboration for developing complex systems.
• To quantify the costs associated with achieving consistency and reproducibility in collaborative development.
• To present initial experiences with developing SNOMED-RT using this collaborative approach.

Main Methods:

• Implementing a computer-facilitated collaborative process.
• Requiring independent reproducibility of work products to ensure quality.
• Focusing collaborative effort on building a shared conceptual model.
• Quantifying additional costs for consistency and reproducibility.

Main Results:

• The computer-facilitated approach shifts focus from communication overhead to shared model development.
• Reproducibility requirements integrate formal quality assurance into the collaborative process.
• Initial experiences with SNOMED-RT development using this method are detailed.

Conclusions:

• Computer-facilitated collaboration can mitigate traditional collaboration drawbacks.
• The focus on reproducibility and shared models enhances product integration and quality.
• This approach offers a viable strategy for developing complex, general-purpose products like SNOMED-RT.