Title: An assessment of physicians' information needs through the development of automated tools

Authors: Marianna Diomidus, John Mantas

Addresses: University of Athens, Laboratory of Health Informatics, P.O. Box 77313, Gr-17510, Athens, Greece. ' University of Athens, Laboratory of Health Informatics, P.O. Box 77313, Gr-17510, Athens, Greece

Abstract: Collecting and managing clinically relevant information constitutes a major problem for physicians, for which the development of automated tools is often proposed as a solution. However, the designing and implementation of automated solutions presumes knowledge of physicians| information needs. In this paper is described an empirical study of information needs in two clinical settings in internal medicine in a general teaching hospital. In this research study we used, on top of traditional methods of investigation, ethnographic techniques to facilitate direct observation of communication about information needs. On the basis of this experience, two main issues were suitably addressed: the identification and interpretation of information needs in medicine; and the attempt to broaden the issue of ||information needs|| to account for the empirical data.

Keywords: automated tools; physicians| information needs; ethnographic techniques; observational method; computer responses.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHTM.1999.004539

International Journal of Healthcare Technology and Management, 1999 Vol.1 No.3/4, pp.415 - 429

Published online: 21 May 2004 *

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