Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
intended. Those who seek a way to understand the cognitive work in a domain
will need to use such an approach in order to develop information technology
that is authentically suited to practitioner needs.
Cognitive artifacts that are computer-supported can add value to resource
planning through prompting, and support for speculation, consequence assess-
ment, and value-based decisions.
Prompting. Coordinator interviews indicated that schedule development ex-
pertise relies on deep domain knowledge that can only be cultivated through
time. Computer-supported artifacts might survey information in the distributed
cognition for gaps and inconsistencies that go unnoticed. Nominating such
item(s) for the schedule writer to consider would enrich and improve the cogni-
tion.
Speculation. Coordinators and team members were routinely observed to spec-
ulate about different courses of action in anticipation of known and possible
demands for care. Computer-supported artifacts can make it possible for coor-
dinators to speculate about possible courses of action and then choose among
them. Making it possible for coordinators to evaluate multiple options would
make their consideration more thorough.
Consequences. During schedule writing sessions, coordinators routinely men-
tioned the implications of the decisions they made while assigning resources.
However, coordinators varied in their attention to implications. In one instance,
a coordinator writing the same sample schedule as a previous coordinator no-
ticed an opportunity for Medicare reimbursement that the other coordinator had
not mentioned. Applying evaluation criteria to potential courses of action could
make it possible to display the consequences of choices. For example, a system
might show how billing could be increased or how costs could be minimized by
opening one room or closing another.
Value-Based Decisions. Schedule writing sessions showed how coordinators
vary in their approach to scheduling decisions, based on different preferences that
include making the day easy for the coordinator to manage, giving residents the
optimal learning opportunity, and making the best match among practitioners
and procedures. Digital artifacts can be used to develop templates of schedule
planning strategies. Coordinators can review and employ a template that best
matches their values and preferences. Templates can capture scheduling expertise
and make it available for use by others, expanding schedule writing best practices
beyond a single individual. Study of template use through time might open the
way to insights about coordinator training and the development of schedule
models to ease coordinator work loads.
Developing a Conceptual Solution Based on Findings. Any distributed
cognition includes cognitive artifacts that participants develop and use to sup-
port cognitive work. Naturalistic decision making environments such as health
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