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M. Tolar, I. Wagner:
"The Austrian Case Studies I - III";
Bericht für Simon Fraser University; Berichts-Nr. Final Report-2007-09, 2007; 118 S.

Much money and energy is invested in the planning and implementation of software in the health care sector, but some of the projects never get realized or they do not fulfill the expectations, e.g. of enhanced efficiency. One of the hopes that are connected with the introduction of electronic patient records (EPR) is that integrated care is achieved by enhancing the accessibility of information across various health care institutions. However there is a tension between large scale standardization efforts and the needs of local work environments. We argue that a thorough understanding of the clinical work and its context is necessary for the successful implementation of an information system.
The report is based on the so called "Austrian case studies" that were conducted in three oncology clinics from September 2004 until September 2007 as part of the ACTion for Health project (see www.sfu.ca/act4hlth/). They provide a detailed understanding of the work practices in three different settings. In two of the clinics studied the documentation is done in paper-based systems whereas in the third clinic a computerized documentation system is used. The report provides an analysis of the documentation and work practices in the three clinics highlighting variations in the procedures with special regard to the different systems of documentation.

documentation system, health care, electronic patient record, work practice research