Assembling the Puzzle: Exploring Collaboration and Data Sensemaking in Nursing Practices for Remote Patient Monitoring

TL;DR

This study investigates how nurses collaborate and interpret data in remote patient monitoring, highlighting challenges and proposing that data sensemaking is a key, yet under-supported, aspect of nursing practice in this context.

Contribution

It provides empirical insights into nursing workflows in RPM and introduces data sensemaking as a distinct practice crucial for effective collaboration.

Findings

RPM scale-up promotes asynchronous collaboration among clinicians

Existing technologies often hinder rather than support data sensemaking

Recognizing data sensemaking can improve nursing workflows in RPM

Abstract

Remote patient monitoring (RPM) involves the remote collection and transmission of patient health data, serving as a notable application of data-driven healthcare. This technology facilitates clinical monitoring and decision-making, offering benefits like reduced healthcare costs and improved patient outcomes. However, RPM also introduces challenges common to data-driven healthcare, such as additional data work that can disrupt clinician's workflow. This study explores the daily practices, collaboration mechanisms, and sensemaking processes of nurses in RPM through field observations and interviews with six stakeholders. Preliminary results indicate that RPM's scale-up pushes clinicians toward asynchronous collaboration. Data sensemaking is crucial for this type of collaboration, but existing technologies often create friction rather than support. This work provides empirical insights into clinical workflow in nursing practice, especially RPM. We suggest recognizing data sensemaking as a distinct nursing practice within data work and recommend further investigation into its role in the workflow of nurses in RPM.