Yearb Med Inform 2009; 18(01): 48-58
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1638638
Original Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart

Current Challenges and Opportunities for Better Integration of Human Factors Research with Development of Clinical Information Systems

J. J. Saleem
1  Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Center on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Indianapolis, IN, USA
2  Indiana University Center for Health Services & Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, IN, USA
3  Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis, IN, USA
4  Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, IUPUI, Indianapolis, IN, USA
,
A. L. Russ
1  Veterans Affairs Health Services Research & Development Center on Implementing Evidence-Based Practice, Indianapolis, IN, USA
2  Indiana University Center for Health Services & Outcomes Research, Indianapolis, IN, USA
,
P. Sanderson
5  The University of Queensland and National ICT Australia, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
,
T. R. Johnson
6  The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
,
J. Zhang
6  The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
,
D. F. Sittig
6  The University of Texas School of Health Information Sciences, Houston, TX, USA
7  UT – Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality & Safety, Houston, TX, USA
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Correspondence to

Dean F. Sittig
UT-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety 6410 Fannin St. UTPB 1100.43
Houston, TX 77030
USA
Phone: +1 713 500 7977   
Fax: +1 713 500 0766   

Publication History

Publication Date:
07 March 2018 (online)

 
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Summary

Objectives Clinical information system (CIS) developers and implementers have begun to look to other scientific disciplines for new methods, tools, and techniques to help them better understand clinicians and their organizational structures, clinical work environments, capabilities of clinical information and communications technology, and the way these structures and processes interact. The goal of this article is to help CIS researchers, developers, implementers, and evaluators better understand the methods, tools, techniques, and literature of the field of human factors.

Methods We developed a framework that explains how six key human factors topics relate to the design, implementation, and evaluation of CISs.

Results Using this framework we discuss the following six topics: 1) informatics and patient safety; 2) user interface design and evaluation; 3) workflow and task analysis; 4) clinical decision making and decision support; 5) distributed cognition; and 6) mental workload and situation awareness.

Conclusions Integrating the methods, tools, and lessons learned from each of these six areas of human factors research early in CIS design and incorporating them iteratively during development can improve user performance, user satisfaction, and integration into clinical workflow. Ultimately, this approach will improve clinical information systems and healthcare delivery.


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Keywords

Human factors - clinical information systems - computerized medical record - human information processing - clinical decision support systems

 


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Correspondence to

Dean F. Sittig
UT-Memorial Hermann Center for Healthcare Quality and Safety 6410 Fannin St. UTPB 1100.43
Houston, TX 77030
USA
Phone: +1 713 500 7977   
Fax: +1 713 500 0766