FWD: Why Doctors and Nurses Wont Use IT

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