Positioning Materiality Within Clinical Information Systems Design

In this papera number of transformation claims associated with the introduction of Clinical Information Systems (CIS) are explored. The paper posits that popular notions surrounding the substitution of the paper record and the elimination of human error are problematic for the way they ignore the materiality of the digital artefact. In this regard the paper highlights how the current discourse on substitution avoids the substitution of bodies, which this paper conceptualizes as a form of ‘digital detachment’. The paper concludes by suggesting that research into materiality, may lead to a more ‘realistic’ understanding of the potential of CIS to ‘transform’ clinical practice, which in turn, may influence the design of Clinical Information Systems.