Using a contextualized sensemaking model for interaction design: A case study of tumor contouring

Anet Aselmaa,Marcel Van Herk,Anne Laprie,Ursula Nestle,Irina Götz,Nicole Wiedenmann,Tanja Schimek-Jasch,Francois Picaud,Charlotte Syrykh,Leonel V Cagetti,Maria Jolnerovski,Yu Song,Richard H.M Goossens

doi:10.1016/j.jbi.2016.12.001

Abstract

Sensemaking theories help designers understand the cognitive processes of a user when he/she performs a complicated task. This paper introduces a two-step approach of incorporating sensemaking support within the design of health information systems by: (1) modeling the sensemaking process of physicians while performing a task, and (2) identifying software interaction design requirements that support sensemaking based on this model. The two-step approach is presented based on a case study of the tumor contouring clinical task for radiotherapy planning. In the first step of the approach, a contextualized sensemaking model was developed to describe the sensemaking process based on the goal, the workflow and the context of the task. In the second step, based on a research software prototype, an experiment was conducted where three contouring tasks were performed by eight physicians respectively. Four types of navigation interactions and five types of interaction sequence patterns were identified by analyzing the gathered interaction log data from those twenty-four cases. Further in-depth study on each of the navigation interactions and interaction sequence patterns in relation to the contextualized sensemaking model revealed five main areas for design improvements to increase sensemaking support. Outcomes of the case study indicate that the proposed two-step approach was beneficial for gaining a deeper understanding of the sensemaking process during the task, as well as for identifying design requirements for better sensemaking support.

Highlights

IntroductionHealth information systems (HIS) refer to computer based information systems (i.e., software and hardware) used in healthcare settings [1]
Health information systems (HIS) refer to computer based information systems used in healthcare settings [1]
We proposed a two-step approach for incorporating sensemaking into HIS software design in order to generate design insights

Summary

Introduction

Health information systems (HIS) refer to computer based information systems (i.e., software and hardware) used in healthcare settings [1]. With the continuously growing amount of digital data, treatment planning relies more and more on software solutions. Many of current solutions only offer limited support to typical cognitive tasks in the clinical domain, such as decision making and prevention of medical errors [4]. Sensemaking is the process of creating an understanding of a concept, knowledge, situation, problem or work task, often to inform an action. It is a prerequisite for problem solving and decision making [5] as such: ‘‘better understanding of human sensemaking processes is critical for understanding how information processed through information systems is appropriated by human users and converted into knowledge and resulting action and performance” [6]. The interplay between frames and data is bidirectional as ‘‘frames shape and define the relevant data, and data mandate that frames change in nontrivial ways” [9]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion