FWD: Why Doctors and Nurses Wont Use IT

["David RR Webber \(XML\)" <david@drrw.info>]

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Bob Lewis writes a column on IT, project management and whatever

else peaks his interest.

 

The following link is to the particular piece.

 

http://weblog.infoworld.com/lewis/archives/2006/06/why_doctors_and.html?source=NLC-ADVICE2006-06-14

 

And there are many good comments and postings to this as well - including why paper is better than screens in a clinical setting. 

 

Personally I noted the following -> add to that slow operation, poorly conceived functional role, badly designed UI defaulting, no time set-aside for training, and its amazing that any software gets used at all.  Notice the reverse applies to clinical devices – heart monitors, IV pumps, etc – that are much more “soldier proof” and mission critical.  Even there however the amount of “smart intelligence” in those devices (ability to detect if someone has selected a whacko drip rate on the pump for example) – coupled with difficult to read settings (yes average age of a nurse is 46 years – so go figure tiny read outs are useless).
 
But of course the nursing staff members are not the ones in charge of the budget and selecting the software and tools – so don’t expect this to change any year soon…

 

DW