Conceptual Challenges for Advancing the Socio-Technical Underpinnings of Health Informatics
Sue Whetton*, 1, Andrew Georgiou2
1 University Department of Rural Health, Tasmania, Locked Bag 1372, Launceston, Australia
2 Health Informatics Research & Evaluation Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, Australia
Abstract
This discussion paper considers the adoption of socio-technical perspectives and their theoretical and practical influence within the discipline of health informatics. The paper highlights the paucity of discussion of the philosophy, theory and concepts of socio-technical perspectives within health informatics. Instead of a solid theoretical base from which to describe, study and understand human-information technology interactions we continue to have fragmented, unelaborated understandings. This has resulted in a continuing focus on technical system performance and increasingly managerial outputs to the detriment of social and technical systems analysis. It has also limited critical analyses and the adaptation of socio-technical approaches beyond the immediate environment to the broader social systems of contemporary society, an expansion which is increasingly mandated in today’s complex health environment.
Keywords: Complex systems, evaluation studies, medical informatics, sociotechnical, theory.
Article Information
Article History:
Received Date: 6/4/2010
Revision Received Date: 10/4/2010
Acceptance Date: 11/4/2010
Electronic publication date: 15/9/2010
Collection year: 2010
© Whetton and Georgiou; Licensee Bentham Open.
open-access license: This is an open access article licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted, non-commercial use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the work is properly cited.
* Address correspondence to this author at the University Department of Rural Health, Tasmania, Locked Bag 1372, Launceston, Australia; Tel: + 61 6324 4025; Fax: + 61 6324 4040; E-mail: Sue.Whetton@utas.edu.au
Open Peer Review Details |
Manuscript submitted on 6-4-2010 |
Original Manuscript |
Conceptual Challenges for Advancing the Socio-Technical Underpinnings of Health Informatics |