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DOI: 10.15265/IY-2016-018
A New Informatics Geography
Correspondence to:
Publication History
10 November 2016
Publication Date:
06 March 2018 (online)
Summary
Introduction: Anyone with knowledge of information systems has experienced frustration when it comes to system implementation or use. Unanticipated challenges arise frequently and unanticipated consequences may follow.
Objective: Working from first principles, to understand why information technology (IT) is often challenging, identify which IT endeavors are more likely to succeed, and predict the best role that technology can play in different tasks and settings.
Results: The fundamental purpose of IT is to enhance our ability to undertake tasks, supplying new information that changes what we decide and ultimately what occurs in the world. The value of this information (VOI) can be calculated at different stages of the decision-making process and will vary depending on how technology is used. We can imagine a task space that describes the relative benefits of task completion by humans or computers and that contains specific areas where humans or computers are superior. There is a third area where neither is strong and a final joint workspace where humans and computers working in partnership produce the best results.
Conclusion: By understanding that information has value and that VOI can be quantified, we can make decisions about how best to support the work we do. Evaluation of the expected utility of task completion by humans or computers should allow us to decide whether solutions should depend on technology, humans, or a partnership between the two.
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Keywords
Human-computer interaction - utility - expected value - value of information - workaround - communication
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References
- 1 Ash JS, Berg M, Coiera E. Some unintended consequences of information technology in health care: the nature of patient care information system-related errors.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004; 11: 104-12.
- 2 Coiera E. Medical informatics.. BMJ 1995; 310 6991 1381.
- 3 Friedman CP. A “fundamental theorem” of biomedical informatics.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2009; 16 (Suppl. 02) 169-70.
- 4 Coiera E. Guide to Health Informatics (3rd Edition).. 3rd ed. London: CRC Press; 2015
- 5 Toth B, Gray J, Brice A. The number needed to read—a new measure of journal value.. Health Info Libr J 2005; 22 (Suppl. 02) 81-82.
- 6 Pluye P, Grad RM, Johnson-Lafleur J. et al. Number Needed to Benefit From Information (NNBI): Proposal From a Mixed Methods Research Study With Practicing Family Physicians.. Ann Fam Med 2013; 11 (Suppl. 06) 559-67.
- 7 Downs SM, Friedman CP, Marasigan F, Gartner G. A decision analytic method for scoring performance on computer-based patient simulations.. Proc AMIA Annu Fall Symp 1997; 667-71.
- 8 Fenwick E, Claxton K, Sculpher M. The value of implementation and the value of information: combined and uneven development.. Medl Decis Making 2008; 28 (Suppl. 01) 21-32.
- 9 Coiera E. When conversation is better than computation.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2000; 7 (Suppl. 03) 277-86.
- 10 Dekker SW, Suparamaniam N. Divergent images of decision making in international disaster relief work.. Ljungbyhed, Sweden: Lund University School of Aviation; 2005
- 11 Coiera E. Technology, cognition and error.. BMJ Qual Saf 2015; 24 (Suppl. 07) 417-22.
- 12 Coiera E. Communication spaces.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2014; 21 (Suppl. 03) 414-22.
- 13 Sintchenko V, Coiera EW. Which clinical decisions benefit from automation? A task complexity approach.. Int J Med Inform 2003; 70 (Suppl. 02) 309-16.
- 14 Tolkien JRR. The Lord of the Rings: One Volume:. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;; 2012
Correspondence to:
-
References
- 1 Ash JS, Berg M, Coiera E. Some unintended consequences of information technology in health care: the nature of patient care information system-related errors.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2004; 11: 104-12.
- 2 Coiera E. Medical informatics.. BMJ 1995; 310 6991 1381.
- 3 Friedman CP. A “fundamental theorem” of biomedical informatics.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2009; 16 (Suppl. 02) 169-70.
- 4 Coiera E. Guide to Health Informatics (3rd Edition).. 3rd ed. London: CRC Press; 2015
- 5 Toth B, Gray J, Brice A. The number needed to read—a new measure of journal value.. Health Info Libr J 2005; 22 (Suppl. 02) 81-82.
- 6 Pluye P, Grad RM, Johnson-Lafleur J. et al. Number Needed to Benefit From Information (NNBI): Proposal From a Mixed Methods Research Study With Practicing Family Physicians.. Ann Fam Med 2013; 11 (Suppl. 06) 559-67.
- 7 Downs SM, Friedman CP, Marasigan F, Gartner G. A decision analytic method for scoring performance on computer-based patient simulations.. Proc AMIA Annu Fall Symp 1997; 667-71.
- 8 Fenwick E, Claxton K, Sculpher M. The value of implementation and the value of information: combined and uneven development.. Medl Decis Making 2008; 28 (Suppl. 01) 21-32.
- 9 Coiera E. When conversation is better than computation.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2000; 7 (Suppl. 03) 277-86.
- 10 Dekker SW, Suparamaniam N. Divergent images of decision making in international disaster relief work.. Ljungbyhed, Sweden: Lund University School of Aviation; 2005
- 11 Coiera E. Technology, cognition and error.. BMJ Qual Saf 2015; 24 (Suppl. 07) 417-22.
- 12 Coiera E. Communication spaces.. J Am Med Inform Assoc 2014; 21 (Suppl. 03) 414-22.
- 13 Sintchenko V, Coiera EW. Which clinical decisions benefit from automation? A task complexity approach.. Int J Med Inform 2003; 70 (Suppl. 02) 309-16.
- 14 Tolkien JRR. The Lord of the Rings: One Volume:. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt;; 2012