Irwin J Y, Torres-Urquidy M H, Schleyer T, Monaco V
PhD Students, Center for Dental Informatics, School of Dental Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Br Dent J. 2009 Jan 10;206(1):E1; discussion 24-5. doi: 10.1038/sj.bdj.2008.1151. Epub 2009 Jan 2.
Objective This study's objective was to formally describe the work process for charting and treatment planning in general dental practice to inform the design of a new clinical computing environment.Methods Using a process called contextual inquiry, researchers observed 23 comprehensive examination and treatment planning sessions during 14 visits to 12 general US dental offices. For each visit, field notes were analysed and reformulated as formalised models. Subsequently, each model type was consolidated across all offices and visits. Interruptions to the workflow, called breakdowns, were identified.Results Clinical work during dental examination and treatment planning appointments is a highly collaborative activity involving dentists, hygienists and assistants. Personnel with multiple overlapping roles complete complex multi-step tasks supported by a large and varied collection of equipment, artifacts and technology. Most of the breakdowns were related to technology which interrupted the workflow, caused rework and increased the number of steps in work processes.Conclusion Current dental software could be significantly improved with regard to its support for communication and collaboration, workflow, information design and presentation, information content, and data entry.
目的 本研究的目的是正式描述一般牙科实践中图表绘制和治疗计划的工作流程，以为新的临床计算环境的设计提供参考。方法 研究人员采用一种称为情境调查的方法，在美国12家普通牙科诊所进行了14次访问，观察了23次全面检查和治疗计划会议。每次访问时，都会对现场记录进行分析，并重新整理为形式化模型。随后，对所有诊所和访问中的每种模型类型进行整合。识别出工作流程中的中断情况，即故障。结果 在牙科检查和治疗计划预约期间的临床工作是一项高度协作的活动，涉及牙医、口腔保健员和助手。具有多个重叠角色的人员在大量各种各样的设备、物品和技术的支持下完成复杂的多步骤任务。大多数故障与技术有关，这些技术中断了工作流程，导致返工并增加了工作流程中的步骤数量。结论 当前的牙科软件在支持沟通与协作、工作流程、信息设计与呈现、信息内容以及数据录入方面可以得到显著改进。
