Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Laptops on Trolleys: Lessons from a Mobile-Wireless Hospital Ward

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Medical Systems Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Most hospital-based staff can be considered to be mobile but many hospital information systems (HIS) are based on fixed desk top computers. Wireless networks allow HIS to be brought to the point of care using mobile devices such as laptops on trolleys thus providing data which can aid in clinical decision-making. The research objective of this project focusses on the collaborative design of a laptop solution for providing data at the point of care. The research approach was based on a combination of action research and design science. Action research techniques including participant observation and informal one-to-one discussions were used to obtain information that was used to evolve the trolley design as a design artefact while addressing usability limitations. This paper presents three versions of the trolley design and how they evolved based on the feedback provided to the researchers from clinical use. Also these results show that using iterative action research techniques (planning, action, evaluation and reflection) in collaborative research can provide productive outcomes addressing a specific design objective within an acute care setting.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dawson, L., Fisher, J., and Heslop, L., Investigating the potential improvement of patient management systems in hospital ward settings using mobile, wireless technologies. In: First European Conference on Mobile Government, Brighton, UK, 2005.

  2. Timmons, S., Nurses resisting information technology. Nursing Enquiry 10(4):257–269, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. McAlearney, A. S., Schweikhart, S. B., and Medow, M. A., Doctors' experience with handheld computers in clinical practice: qualitative study. British Medical Journal 328:1162–1166, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Dawson, L., Fisher, J., Weeding, S., Heslop, L., and Howard, A., Action Research in Emerging Technologies in Health Information Systems: Creating a Mobile Information Environment in a Hospital Ward. 8th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies:127–135, 2009.

  5. Anderson, J., Clearing the way for physicians' use of clinical information systems. Commun. ACM 40(8):83–90, 1997.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ward, R., Stevens, C., Brentnall, P., and Briddon, J., The attitudes of health care staff to information technology: a comprehensive review of the research literature. Health Info. Libr. J. 25(2):81–97, 2008. doi:10.1111/j.1471-1842.2008.00777.x.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Poon, E. G., Gandhi, T. K., Sequist, T. D., Murff, H. J., Karson, A. S., and Bates, D. W., "I wish i had seen this test result earlier!" Dissatisfaction with test result management systems in primary care. Arch. Intern. Med. 164:2223–2228, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Rowe, I., and Brimacombe, P., Integrated care information technology. The New Zealand Medical Journal 116(1169), 2003.

  9. McShea, M., Holl, R., Badawi, O., Riker, R. R., and Silfen, E., The eICU research institute - a collaboration between industry, health-care providers, and academia. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Mag. 29(2):18–25, 2010. doi:10.1109/MEMB.2009.935720.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Fernando, J. I., and Dawson, L. L., The health information system security threat lifecycle: An informatics theory. International Journal of Medical Informatics 78(12):815–826, 2009.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Fernando, J., and Dawson, L., Clinician assessments of workplace security training-an informatics perspective. Electronic Journal of Health Informatics 3(1):e7, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Carlson, E., Catrambone, C., Oder, K., Nauseda, S., Fogg, L., Garcia, B., Brown, F. M., Jr., Johnson, M. E., Johnson, T. J., and Llewellyn, J., Point-of-care technology supports bedside documentation. J. Nurs. Adm. 40(9):360–365, 2010. doi:10.1097/NNA.0b013e3181ee4248.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Norman, D. A., THE WAY I SEE IT: A fetish for numbers. Interactions 15(2):14–15, 2008. doi:10.1145/1340961.1340965.

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Pettus, D., Mobile medical device connectivity: real world solutions. Conf. Proc. IEEE Eng. Med. Biol. Soc. 5:3450–3451, 2004. doi:10.1109/IEMBS.2004.1403968.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Yoshihiro, A., Nakata, N., Harada, J., and Tada, S., Wireless local area networking for linking a PC reporting system and PACS: clinical feasibility in emergency reporting. Radiographics 22(3):721–728, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  16. De Leonardis, R., Sansotta, C., Testagrossa, B., Ferlazzo, M., Vermiglio, G., and Faranda, C., Wired and wireless network solution for the integrated management of data and images. Radiol. Med. 104(3):194–202, 2002.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Lee, H. J., Lee, K. H., Hwang, S. I., Kim, H. C., Seo, E. H., Kim, T. G., and Ha, K. S., The effect of wireless LAN-based PACS device for portable imaging modalities. J. Digit Imaging 23(2):185–191, 2010. doi:10.1007/s10278-008-9174-4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Lou, E., Fedorak, M. V., Hill, D. L., Raso, J. V., Moreau, M. J., and Mahood, J. K., Bluetooth wireless database for scoliosis clinics. Med. Biol. Eng. Comput. 41(3):346–349, 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Heslop, L., Weeding, S., Dawson, L., Fisher, J., and Howard, A., Implementation issues for mobile-wireless infrastructure and mobile health care computing devices for a hospital ward setting. J. Med. Syst. 34(4):509–518, 2010. doi:10.1007/s10916-009-9264-y.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Avison, D., Lau, F., Myers, M., and Nielsen, P. A., Action research. Commun. ACM 42(1):94–97, 1999.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Baskerville, R. L., and Wood-Harper, A. T., A critical perspective on action research as a method for information systems research. J. Inf. Technol. 11(3):235–246, 1996.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Susman, G. I., Action Research. A Sociotechnical Systems Perspective. In: Morgan, G. (Ed.), Beyond Method: Strategies for Social Research. Sage, Newbury Park, pp. 95–113, 1983.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gregor, S., and Hevner, A. R., Introduction to the special issue on design science. Inf. Syst. E-Bus Manag. 9(1):1–9, 2011. doi:10.1007/S10257-010-0159-8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. van Aken, J. E., Design science and organization development interventions. J. Appl. Behav. Sci. 43(1):67–88, 2007. doi:10.1177/0021886306297761.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Hevner, A. R., March, S. T., Park, J., and Ram, S., Design science in information systems research. Mis. Quart 28(1):75–105, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was part of a larger project supported by the Australian Research Council (ARC) - Project ID: LP0455331. Partners for this grant were the Australian Research Council (ARC), Monash University, Southern Health, and NEC Business Solutions Pty Ltd. The authors wish to acknowledge the contributions of the other members of the overarching ARC research team, Associate Professor Liza Heslop (Victoria University), Professor Julie Fisher (Monash University) and Dr Andrew Howard (formerly of NEC). The authors also wish to acknowledge the contribution of Ms Lyn Wallace and Mr David Ramsay from Southern Health’s Monash Medical Centre (MMC) and staff from NEC who provided valuable and ongoing support to this project.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NEC Australia, Mulgrave, VIC, Australia

    Stephen Weeding

  2. Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, Australia

    Stephen Weeding & Linda Dawson

  3. School of Information Systems and Technology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia

    Linda Dawson

Authors
  1. Stephen Weeding
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Linda Dawson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Linda Dawson.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Weeding, S., Dawson, L. Laptops on Trolleys: Lessons from a Mobile-Wireless Hospital Ward. J Med Syst 36, 3933–3943 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-012-9865-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-012-9865-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation