Clinical cognition and biomedical informatics: issues of patient safety.
Recent developments in biomedical informatics research have afforded possibilities for great advances in health care delivery. These exciting opportunities also present a number of challenges to the implementation and integration of technologies in the workplace. As in most domains, there is a gulf between technologic artifacts and end users, which compromises the culture of safety in the workplace. Because clinical practice is a human endeavor, there is a need for bridging disciplines to enable clinicians to benefit from rapid technologic advances. This, in turn, necessitates a broadening of disciplinary boundaries to consider cognitive and social factors related to the design and use of technology. The authors argue for a place of prominence for cognitive science in understanding nursing factors associated with patient safety. Cognitive science provides a framework for the analysis and modeling of complex human performance. Studies of clinical cognition can meaningfully inform and shape design, development and assessment of information systems. Furthermore, they have a decisive impact on whether information technology has a positive influence on human performance and are especially important in understanding and promoting safe practices. These issues are discussed in the context of clinical informatics with a focus on nursing practice.
Patel
Vimla L
VL
Department of Biomedical Informatics, Columbia University Medical Center, VC-5, 622 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032, USA. patel@dbmi.columbia.edu
Currie
Leanne M
LM
D001698:Biomedical Engineering / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D019336:Cognitive Science; D020000:Decision Support Systems, Clinical; D019300:Medical Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D048108:Nursing Informatics / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D017751:Safety Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D012985:Software Design; D013673:Technology Assessment, Biomedical