Health information technologies: From hazardous to the dark side

This paper explores the effects of Health Information Technologies (HIT) in Operating Rooms (ORs). When functioning well, Health IT are a boon to mankind. However, Health IT in the OR also create hazards for patients for a number of interrelated reasons. We introduce five interrelated components of hazard situations for medical teams operating in the OR: complexity, overload/underload, inadequate individual training, inadequate training of medical teams, overconfidence of surgeons. These components of hazard situations in the OR may negatively impact patient safety. We discuss implications, especially in terms of individuals and medical teams in the OR, as well as work substitution as a broader aspect of the potential dark side of Health IT.