Barriers to scaling up participatory design interventions in health IT: a case study
Abstract
In this paper, we present an account of the challenges faced while implementing a participatory design intervention in healthcare. We use examples from the development of ActionADE, an electronic application for sharing patient-specific adverse drug event information between hospitals (where adverse drug events are documented) and community pharmacies (where harmful drugs can be unintentionally re- dispensed). While developing ActionADE entailed extensive qualitative work, its implementation is contingent on our research team's action in the health data infrastructure arena, including developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships and addressing policy and governance issues. Competencies and skills in this area are often overlooked, yet are required to achieve successful uptake of participatory design interventions in health information technology.
