Impacts of physicians' usage of a mobile information system

Abstract

Healthcare professionals are increasingly using handheld devices in their practice. The applications for the handhelds are numerous and their usage contexts and environments vary. But the impact these mobile systems have on physicians' work has been somewhat unclear. This paper sets out to explain the impacts of a mobile information system by presenting findings from an interview study conducted on users of a medical information system running on a Nokia 9210 Communicator. The impact on the work routines of the users was rather limited, despite the generally positive attitude towards the system. The actual usage patterns and the settings in which the system is used vary, and along with these the perceived impacts of the system on the work habits and the routines of the users.