Task analysis of information technology‐mediated medication management in outpatient care. (5th June 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: 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.
• Is Part Of: British journal of clinical pharmacology. Volume 80:Number 3(2015:Sep.)
• Page Start: 415
• Page End: 424
• Publication Date: 2015-06-05
• Subjects: Pharmacology -- Periodicals; Drugs -- Periodicals; 615.1
• DOI: 10.1111/bcp.12625
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-5251

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="bcp12625-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aims</title> <p>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.</p> </sec> <sec id="bcp12625-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>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.</p> </sec> <sec id="bcp12625-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>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.</p> </sec> <sec id="bcp12625-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>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.</p> </sec> </abstract>