A Cooperative Communication System for the Advancement of Safe, Effective, and Efficient Patient Care

Abstract : To improve care by supporting clinical decision-making by identifying design requirements for computer-based decision support and communication tools, we can describe the Burn ICU (BICU) as a work domain and account for cognitive activities to identify design requirements for a decision support and communication tools using Cognitive Systems Engineering (CSE) methodologies. This project is divided into three phases: foundation research, prototype development, and prototype assessment. In phase I, we conduct one-week data collection visits in a BICU followed by data analysis sessions. Each visit includes: 1)Direct observation of clinical teams providing patient care. Probe questions enable researchers torequest background and clarifying information situated in context to better understand motivations, information use, and decision making; 2) Structured interviews elicit knowledge from clinicians about their background, perspectives, work activity, information sources, and challenges they face; 3) Collection of computer-based and hard copy artifacts that clinicians use in their work. These include sign out sheets, personal notes, status boards, and equipment displays, among others. Through data analysis, we develop descriptive models of the BICU work domain and features of clinician decision-making and patient care. These models describe the content and flow of information that the project s prototype decision support and communication system will help to manage.