Development of Telemedicine in Oil & Gas through the Capabilities Approach

Abstract

The oil & gas companies operating in the Norwegian Continental Shelf have commonly used the capabilities approach within the context of Integrated Operations. This approach focuses on understanding organisations as dynamic systems and provides concepts and a language for developing resources. Recent efforts are focusing on extending Integrated Operations and the capabilities approach to medical services offshore, specifically on the use of telemedicine. Telemedicine in this context involves the connection between offshore and onshore medical staff through the use of communication systems, as well the distribution of medical data obtained offshore (for instance HD images or vital signs readings). In this work we describe the elaboration of a new tool: the Capability Development Resource Matrix, based on the People - Capability Maturity Model (P-CMM) proposed by Curtis, Hefley, and Miller in 2009. This tool is designed to guide organisational development and is generated directly from the work with industry partners, being continuously tested and improved. We discuss the tool’s value for planning, development, and implementation of telemedicine in Oil & Gas and other contexts. We wrap-up with considerations about future steps in the methodology conception and evaluation.