Constructing Awareness Through Speech, Gesture, Gaze and Movement During a Time-Critical Medical Task

Abstract

We conducted a video-based study to examine how medical teams construct and maintain awareness of what is going on in the environment during a time-critical, collaborative task—endotracheal intubation. Drawing on a theme that characterizes work practices in collaborative work settings—reading a scene—we examine both vocal and non-vocal actions (e.g., speech, body movement, gesture, gaze) of team members participating in this task to understand how these actions are used to display status of one’s work or to acquire information about the work status of others. While each action modality was helpful in constructing awareness to some extent, it posed different challenges, requiring team members to combine both vocal and non-vocal actions to achieve awareness about each other’s activities and their temporal order. We conclude by discussing different types of non-vocal actions, their purpose, and the need for computational support in this dynamic work setting.