Johanna Persson

Evaluating interactive computer-based scenarios designed for learning medical technology

The use of medical equipment is growing in healthcare, resulting in an increased need for resources to educate users in how to manage the various devices. Learning the practical operation of a device is one thing, but learning how to work with the device in the actual clinical context is more challenging. This paper presents a computer-based simulation prototype for learning medical technology in the context of critical care. Properties from simulation and computer games have been adopted to create a visualization-based, interactive and contextually bound tool for learning. A participatory design process, including three researchers and three practitioners from a clinic for infectious diseases, was adopted to adjust the form and content of the prototype to the needs of the clinical practice and to create a situated learning experience. An evaluation with 18 practitioners showed that practitioners were positive to this type of tool for learning and that it served as a good platform for eliciting and sharing knowledge. Our conclusion is that this type of tools can be a complement to traditional learning resources to situate the learning in a context without requiring advanced technology or being resource-demanding.

A review of the design and development processes of simulation for training in healthcare : A technology-centered versus a human-centered perspective

This article reviews literature about simulation systems for training in healthcare regarding the prevalence of human-centered approaches in the design and development of these systems, motivated by a tradition in this field of working technology-centered. The results show that the focus on human needs and context of use is limited. It is argued that a reduction of the focus on technical advancements in favor of the needs of the users and the healthcare community, underpinned by human factors and ergonomics theory, is favorable. Due to the low number of identified articles describing or discussing human-centered approaches it is furthermore concluded that the publication culture promotes technical descriptions and summative evaluations rather than descriptions and reflections regarding the design and development processes. Shifting the focus from a technology-centered approach to a human-centered one can aid in the process of creating simulation systems for training in healthcare that are: 1) relevant to the learning objectives, 2) adapted to the needs of users, context and task, and 3) not selected based on technical or fidelity criteria.

Conceptual Design of E-health Services by, and for Support of, Home Care Staff

Together with staff from home care from four municipalities we investigated how e-health services can improve the work environment. In a series of four workshops we coached the participants in (1) describing their work process and pinpointing the problematic situations in the process, (2) formulating their wishes for an ideal work process, (3) conceptualizing how e-health solutions can be used to obtain the ideal work process and describing scenarios (4) illustrating the scenarios and the design process on storyboards. The storyboards describe, amongst other, how support through e-health systems may be used to: gain access to adequate information; get in touch with other professionals as doctors or other colleagues; prevent medication errors, and to transfer images or physiological data to an expert who can directly provide personal support.

Evaluating Innovations for the Physical Environment in Home Care – A Workplace for One, A Home for the Other

To a higher degree, older adults will live to old age in their own homes with the assistance of home care services. One effect of this is an increased number of people working in the home environment. This paper presents the results from a research project that studied the physical environment in Swedish home care. Innovations to support the home care situation were developed, with the aim of contributing to patient safety and improving working conditions, without diminishing the homelike atmosphere. These innovations were evaluated by both the care recipients and home care staff. The number of generated ideas shows the potential for improving the way in which home care is performed. One example is piece of storage furniture that addresses many of the identified problem areas. This was well received by the staff and residents. One challenge with the type of products presented is that they are neither direct work tools nor aids for the elderly, which means that in today’s organization in Sweden, there is no system for financing them.

Designing for Including Children in Online Health Care Consultations

Children can and should be encouraged to take an active part in their own care. With the introduction of online health care centers, where the main interaction is provided through digital consultations, the process for including the child must be revised. In addition to the medical and legal challenges, the digital interface needs to be designed so that the parent is encouraged to involve the child in the care-seeking process. This paper presents a concept for an online health care consultation for children, created in a user-centered design process. The specific challenges in designing for a setting where the role of the child is so central are discussed.