TY - JOUR

T1 - Attending Unintended Transformations of Health Care Infrastructure

A1 - Wentzer,Helle

A1 - Bygholm,Ann

AU - Wentzer,Helle

AU - Bygholm,Ann

PB - Igitur, Utrecht Publishing & Archiving Services

PY - 2007/11/14

Y1 - 2007/11/14

N2 - <strong>Introduction</strong>: Western health care is under pressure from growing demands on quality and efficiency. The development and implementation of information technology, IT is a key mean of health care authorities to improve on health care infrastructure.<br/><p><strong>Theory and methods: </strong>Against a background of theories on human-computer interaction and IT-mediated communication, different empirical studies of IT implementation in health care are analyzed. The outcome is an analytical discernment between different relations of communication and levels of interaction with IT in health care infrastructure. These relations and levels are synthesized into a framework for identifying tensions and potential problems in the mediation of health care with the IT system. These problems are also known as unexpected adverse consequences, UACs, from IT implementation into clinical health care practices.<br/><br/><strong>Results: </strong>This paper develops a conceptual framework for addressing transformations of communication and workflow in health care as a result of implementing IT.<br/><br/><strong>Conclusion and discussion:</strong> The purpose of the conceptual framework is to support the attention to and continuous screening for errors and unintended consequences of IT implementation into health care practices and outcomes. </p>

AB - <strong>Introduction</strong>: Western health care is under pressure from growing demands on quality and efficiency. The development and implementation of information technology, IT is a key mean of health care authorities to improve on health care infrastructure.<br/><p><strong>Theory and methods: </strong>Against a background of theories on human-computer interaction and IT-mediated communication, different empirical studies of IT implementation in health care are analyzed. The outcome is an analytical discernment between different relations of communication and levels of interaction with IT in health care infrastructure. These relations and levels are synthesized into a framework for identifying tensions and potential problems in the mediation of health care with the IT system. These problems are also known as unexpected adverse consequences, UACs, from IT implementation into clinical health care practices.<br/><br/><strong>Results: </strong>This paper develops a conceptual framework for addressing transformations of communication and workflow in health care as a result of implementing IT.<br/><br/><strong>Conclusion and discussion:</strong> The purpose of the conceptual framework is to support the attention to and continuous screening for errors and unintended consequences of IT implementation into health care practices and outcomes. </p>

KW - human computer interaction

KW - socio-technical

KW - change mangement

KW - infrastructure

KW - communication

KW - information technology

UR - http://www.ijic.org/index.html

JO - International Journal of Integrated Care

JF - International Journal of Integrated Care

SN - 1568-4156

VL - 7

ER -