Healthcare Informatics: Supporting Collaborative Sensemaking in the Emergency Department

It is a busy day in the emergency room with the monitors beeping, the alarms blaring intermittently, the phones ringing, and the overhead paging system crackling at intervals with important messages. The nurses are running back and forth between the rooms, weaving around the patients on the hallway beds. The doctors are talking in groups while referring to the large overhead displays showing the status of patients. The charge nurse is poring over her computer screen, trying to find beds for waiting patients, while talking on the phone. A paramedic walks up to one of the registration associates and asks, “Do you know what the trauma number is for the patient that just came in?” The registration associate quickly glances through the list of patients on her computer screen and points to a record, “Is that the one? Came in about 30 minutes ago?” The paramedic looks at the record and shakes his head, “No this just came in a few minutes ago. 17-year-old motor vehicle accident.” The registration associate looks through the list again, and shakes her head, “I don’t see any other trauma patient in here.” The paramedic looks at her, frustrated, “I just brought this patient in. Now I can’t find him.” He walks away, looking for his patient.