CallMeSmart

Background

The current generation of communication technology in hospitals has several drawbacks. Wireless phones for example create a risk that individual physicians will become overloaded with unnecessary interruptions. The project focuses on using contextual information, such as position, for managing communication availability, and for establishing role based contact.

Goal

To design, develop and evaluate a mobile communication infrastructure that balances communication availability and interruptions for hospital workers, and that integrates role based contact into a single device.

Problems

Algorithms for modeling interruptibility in hospitals and interaction forms for controlling availability. Middleware and interaction forms for managing communication roles associated with a device.

Methods

An iterative prototype driven methodology will be used. Observations, interviews, and participatory design will be used for design input. Prototypes will be developed and evaluated in as close to as possible of a naturalistic setting.

Financing

NFR

Project start/stop

01.2009 – 2012

Contribution to health care

Hospitals are noted to suffer from poor communication practices with mobile communication technology being recommended as one potential remedy. Preliminary studies have shown benefits for both mobile voice and text services during use in hospitals. The project will contribute to health care by working to improve communication practices among physicians through the use of these technologies.

Contribution to new industry

This project will contribute to better understanding of the potential users of mobile communication systems in health care. This is critical to the product development cycle since over half of medical informatics systems fail because of user and staff resistance. The iterative prototype driven methodology will explore new ways to improve mobile technology for hospitals, and also to explore the possibility for new products. Algorithms for modeling interruptibility in hospitals and interaction forms for controlling availability. Middleware and interaction forms for managing communication roles associated with a device.

Project manager

Terje Solvoll, e-mail: terje.solvoll@telemed.no, tel.: +47 90 93 21 83

Researchers

Terje Solvoll (NST), Per Hasvold (NST), Gunnar Hartvigsen, (UiTø and NST), Jeremiah Scholl (NST). (Master students) Stefano Fasani, Lorenzo Gironi, Edouard Kerbage, Alain Titage, Ashok Babu Ravuri & Annelies Tiemersma.

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