title: An information flow analysis of a distributed information system for space medical support.
abstract: In this study, we applied the methodology grounded in human-centered distributed cognition principles to the information flow analysis of a highly intensive, distributed and complex environment--the Biomedical Engineer (BME) console system at NASA Johnson Space Center. This system contains disparate human and artificial agents and artifacts. Users and tasks of this system were analyzed. An ethnographic study and a detailed communication pattern analysis were conducted to gain deeper insight and better understanding of the information flow patterns and the organizational memory of the current BME console system. From this study, we identified some major problems and offered recommendations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this system. We believe that this analysis methodology can be used in other distributed information systems, such as a healthcare environment.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Information Sciences, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 77030, USA. ktzhang@mdanderson.org
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Gina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aranzamendez
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rinkus
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rukab
authors.forename: Kathy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Johnson-Throop
authors.forename: JaneT
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Malin
authors.forename: Jiajie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000337:Aerospace Medicine / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D007257:Information Theory; D033183:Interdisciplinary Communication; D017146:Models, Organizational; D018531:Spacecraft; D013597:Systems Analysis