On the spot experiments within healthcare
Abstract
This paper reports the value of On the Spot Experiments with self-produced content and the use of technology within healthcare. On the Spot Experiments are experiments conducted in the setting of on going clinical work and patient care. We begin by relating our work to approaches within ethnography and work place studies which link ethnography and design. Thereafter we describe how we have carried out On the Spot Experiments in two projects where we have explored the possibilities of self-produced learning material. The first project described is within an intensive care unit setting where the staff and designers explored the making of self-produced videos on different procedures and their use in handheld computers. The second project described focuses on patient learning at a hand surgery clinic where we explored the possibilities of individualised video training instructions. In both cases the On the Spot Experiments have shown fruitful results in different aspects of clinical work and how the use of content and technology might affect this work. A key factor has been exploring what relevant content could be. We conclude by outlining some qualities and limits of doing On the Spot Experiments.
