Task analysis of information technology-mediated medication management in outpatient care

Task analysis of information technology-mediated medication management in outpatient care

van Stiphout, F.
Zwart-van Rijkom, J.E.F.
Maggio, L.A.
Aarts, J.E.C.M.
Bates, D.W.
van Gelder, T.
Jansen, P.A.F.
Schraagen, J.M.C.
Egberts, A.C.G.
ter Braak, E.W.M.T.

2015

Aims Educating physicians in the procedural as well as cognitive skills of information technology (IT)-mediated medication management could be one of the missing links for the improvement of patient safety. We aimed to compose a framework of tasks that need to be addressed to optimize medication management in outpatient care. Methods Formal task analysis: decomposition of a complex task into a set of subtasks. First, we obtained a general description of the medication management process from exploratory interviews. Secondly, we interviewed experts in-depth to further define tasks and subtasks. Setting: Outpatient care in different fields of medicine in six teaching and academic medical centres in the Netherlands and the United States. Participants: 20 experts. Tasks were divided up into procedural, cognitive and macrocognitive tasks and categorized into the three components of dynamic decision making. Results The medication management process consists of three components: (i) reviewing the medication situation; (ii) composing a treatment plan; and (iii) accomplishing and communicating a treatment and surveillance plan. Subtasks include multiple cognitive tasks such as composing a list of current medications and evaluating the reliability of sources, and procedural tasks such as documenting current medication. The identified macrocognitive tasks were: planning, integration of IT in workflow, managing uncertainties and responsibilities, and problem detection. Conclusions All identified procedural, cognitive and macrocognitive skills should be included when designing education for IT-mediated medication management. The resulting framework supports the design of educational interventions to improve IT-mediated medication management in outpatient care. © 2015 The Authors. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology published by John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of The British Pharmacological Society.

Human & Operational Modelling
HOI - Human Behaviour & Organisational Innovations
ELSS - Earth, Life and Social Sciences
Pharmacology
Education
Human factors
IT
Medication management
Task analysis
Cognition
Conceptual framework
Decomposition
Formal task analysis
Information technology
Integration
Interpersonal communication
Interview
Job performance
Macrocognitive task
Managed care
Medical education
Medication therapy management
Outpatient care
Patient safety
Physician attitude
Responsibility
Task performance
Treatment planning
Workflow

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:291e8b29-97c3-45fc-acc2-e4ab78ea27b1

https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.12625

528007

Blackwell Publishing Ltd

0306-5251

British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 80 (3), 415-424

article