Method for testing a CPOE system in the medication process in a cardiology ward.

Medication errors are of major concern in most countries. The European PSIP project aims to identify and prevent medication errors by enabling data mining and designing contextualized decision support functionalities using a human factors engineering approach. To create a basic understanding of the work practice in the medication process members of the staff in a cardiology department in a Danish hospital were asked to take pictures of their workplace. The pictures were used as a memory trigger in a subsequent interview. Furthermore a video based observation of a full day of work was carried out. In this paper the methodological considerations and experiences are presented and discussed.