Envisioning a Shared Checklist Display to Support Teamwork During Emergency Medical Care

Abstract

Information technology and systems in healthcare are becoming increasingly complex and dynamic, requiring design approaches that consider not only providers’ information needs and work practices, but also their perceptions and expectations about technology. In this paper, we describe an exploratory study conducted to assess the feasibility and impact of a shared checklist display for supporting teamwork during trauma resuscitations. Using the concept of technological frames, we explore how members of multidisciplinary emergency medical teams perceive current technology and what they expect from a future shared checklist display. Our results showed discrepancies in team members’ perceptions of technology and its roles. Some care providers envisioned a shared checklist display as a tool for achieving a global view of the process, improving communication and maintaining situation awareness. Others perceived it as a point of distraction, where team members may be checking each other’s work to ensure accuracy of documentation. These requirements and limitations extend beyond the capacity of a simple checklist, while also shifting the privacy of work from individuals to the entire team. We conclude by discussing design implications for a future shared display and how shifting to a multi-display environment within a safety-critical context may transform work practices.