Sociotechnical requirements analysis for clinical systems.
OBJECTIVE
We explore sociotechnical requirements by examining the use of a computerized patient record system in an intensive care unit of a U.S. hospital and present two sociotechnical requirements, awareness and coordination, embedded in the users' work.


METHODS
The study is based on observation during seven months of the use of a computerized patient record system in a surgical intensive care unit. During that period semi-formal interviews, informal interviews were held.


CONCLUSIONS
A key step in the design of clinical systems is the development and analysis of requirements. However, traditional requirements analysis is based on a set of assumptions that break down in the highly collaborative, exception-filled clinical domain. Sociotechnical requirement analysis enabled the designers to gather a much richer description of the environment surrounding the computer system, highlighting awareness and coordination, embedded in the users' work.
Reddy
M
M
School of Management und Information Systems, Fulton Hall 106D, University of Missouri - Rolla Rolla, MO 65409-0320, USA. mreddy@umr.edu
Pratt
W
W
Dourish
P
P
Shabot
M M
MM
D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006302:Health Services Research; D006751:Hospital Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000458:organization & administration*; D016730:Program Development; D013597:Systems Analysis; D014481:United States