Information Display in the Intensive Care Unit – Considerations for System Design and Implementation

Abstract

Healthcare working environments are complex, and intensive care units (ICUs) are particularly complex due to the influx of data to the healthcare professionals who are providing continuous care to the most critically ill patients. Systems that are designed to work in these environments should take into consideration varied patient conditions, the clinical professionals who use these systems, and the features and performance requirements that will support their efforts to provide care to their patients. We suggest that developing systems that will meet these challenges requires customized design approach, including cognitive system engineering. Until recently, this work domain has been largely ignored by manufacturers of patient monitoring systems. This panel brought together two separate teams who have been using such an approach independently to design new systems for information integration and display in ICU settings. The goals of this panel discussion were to take a close look at the tools and methods that are being used for such a cognitive system engineering approach to the design processes, and to review the recommendations and concepts that are emerging from these processes from each of the two independent teams. This paper summarizes the presentations made during the panel by the two teams regarding updates of ongoing work followed by a lively discussion between panelists and the symposium participants in the audience. Each team had its unique design process that was customized to the specific target ICU, the available resources and goals. The designed systems have original features that evolve from the unique needs of the target unit, yet the designs also share some common features.