User Involvement in the Design and Appropriation of a Mobile Clinical Information System: Reflections on Organisational Learning

Abstract

User participation during systems development has been linked to the success of IS and to the elicitation of improved user requirements. The focus of most of the research on user participation is on the systems development process and does not consider the role of the user after the system has been implemented. This chapter explores user participation in the development, implementation and use of a Mobile Clinical Information System within the Metropolitan Ambulance Service, Melbourne, Australia. The chapter draws the following three conclusions. User involvement should be established during the systems development of the new IS, and also needs to be followed up during the implementation and use of the system. Various levels of user involvement can be utilised during the life cycle of the IS. Effective user involvement during the use of the system relies on fast and reactive responses to change requests by users.