Cognitive Aids

Abstract

The high task and emotional demands of healthcare drain individual cognitive, affective, and physical resources. When these resources are depleted, practitioners are no longer able to vigilantly prevent system-based errors from occurring. Cognitive aids have frequently been suggested—and implemented—as a method to reduce the cognitive load associated with medical practice. Although cognitive aids can offer true benefits, haphazard implementation and overuse has led to “checklist fatigue.” To avoid this misuse and to maximize the benefits of these beneficial tools, we suggest that cognitive aids should be clear, easy to use, adaptable to the context, properly trained prior to implementation, pilot tested, and based on a needs-analysis. Furthermore, it appears that best practices for one type of cognitive aid in one context cannot necessarily be generalized to another. Therefore, this qualitative synthesis of the literature aims to provide three contextual factors to consider when addressing an issue with a cognitive aid. Designers and administrators need to consider the skill type that will be addressed, the physical, social, and organizational environment in which the aid will be utilized, as well as the experience level of the targeted users.