The Ambiguous Status of a Tool: The Case of the Anaesthesia Chart

The aim of the research presented in this paper was to study the subtleties of the anaesthesiologist’s practice in order to design a digital replacement for the anaesthesia chart. To analyse the anaesthesiologist’s work, we used a mixture of ergonomic work analysis and ethnomethodological approach. We conducted over 100hrs of field observation in the Operating Theatre of two Greek hospitals. The analysis of this data shows that the chart has an ambiguous status because of the conflicting interests shaping its use (eg. cognitive tool, juridical evidence). These findings demand a new approach for the design of the digital chart.

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