Qualitative ergonomics/human factors research in health care: Current state and future directions.

The objective of this systematic review was to understand the current state of Ergonomics/Human Factors (E/HF) qualitative research in health care and to draw implications for future efforts. This systematic review identified 98 qualitative research papers published between January 2005 and August 2015 in the seven journals endorsed by the International Ergonomics Association with an impact factor over 1.0. The majority of the studies were conducted in hospitals and outpatient clinics, were focused on the work of formal health care professionals, and were classified as cognitive or organizational ergonomics. Interviews, focus groups, and observations were the most prevalent forms of data collection. Triangulation and data archiving were the dominant approaches to ensuring rigor. Few studies employed a formal approach to qualitative inquiry. Significant opportunities remain to enhance the use of qualitative research to advance systems thinking within health care.

Exploring patients' health information communication practices with social network members as a foundation for consumer health IT design.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to ensure that the growing number of consumer health information technologies designed to support patient engagement account for the larger social context in which health is managed. Basic research on how patients engage this larger social context is needed as a precursor to the development of patient-centered consumer health information technology (IT) solutions. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to inform the broader design of consumer health IT by characterizing patients' existing health information communication practices with their social network members. METHODS: This qualitative study took place between 2010 and 2012 in a Midwestern city. Eighteen patients with chronic conditions participated in a semi-structured interview that was analyzed using qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics. Emphasis was placed on recruiting a sample representing diverse cultural groups and including participants of low socioeconomic status. RESULTS: Participants' social networks included a wide range of individuals, spanning biological relatives, divinities, and second-degree relationships. Participants' rationales for health information communication reflected seven themes: (1) characteristics and circumstances of the person, (2) characteristics and circumstances of the relationship, (3) structure and composition of the social network, (4) content of the message, (5) orientation of the goal, (6) dimensions of the context, and (7) adaptive practices. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that patients' health information communication practices are multidimensional, engaging individuals beyond formal and informal caregivers and driven by characteristics of their personal lives and larger social contexts in addition to their health problem. New models of consumer health IT must be created to better align with the realities of patients' communication routines.

Data-based considerations for electronic family health history applications.

Family health history contains important information about the genetic and environmental factors that contribute to patterns of health and illness in families. Applications for collecting, managing, and analyzing family health history could be improved if their design were informed by an understanding of how consumers think about and report family health history. This article presents a descriptive analysis of themes from family health history interviews that have implications for development, selection, and use of family health history tools. Important themes included ways in which family is defined, including nonbiological family members and pets; ideas about health and disease, including degree of exposure and individual perceptions; and barriers to reporting family health history, including large biological families and uncertainty. Some themes identified (eg, uncertainty) have been recognized previously and continue to be important considerations. Other themes identified, such as perceptions about severity of illness or conditions and causal relationships, are newly recognized and may have implications for nurses and other providers designing, selecting, and using family health history applications.

Improving informed consent in bioinformatics research: a design-for-understanding approach.

Legally and ethically, researchers are required to ensure laypeople understand the informed consent process. Characteristics of the potential participants, their situation, and the study have been shown to affect laypeople's understanding. We propose a seven-step design-for-understanding approach to the development of an understandable informed consent document. Results from application of the approach to a large bioinformatics field study, HeartCare II, are provided.

Understanding informed consent in bioinformatics research: cross-cultural issues.

Cultural factors, such as language, gender roles, and emphasis on individuality should be attended to in bioinformatics research studies for reasons related to ethics and generalizability. These factors must be addressed during the informed consent process when patients make decisions about study participation. Observations of Institutional Review Board meetings and interviews with principal investigators of bioinformatics studies revealed that only particular cultural factors, such as language, are considered during the informed consent process.