Emotion Awareness and Invisibility in an Emergency Room: A Socio-technical Dilemma
Open Access
- Author:
- Mentis, Helena M.
- Graduate Program:
- Information Sciences and Technology
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- October 22, 2009
- Committee Members:
- Mary Beth Rosson, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Mary Beth Rosson, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Madhu Reddy, Committee Member
Alicia Grandey, Committee Member
Brian K Smith, Committee Member - Keywords:
- emotion expression
affective computing
emotional design
medical informatics - Abstract:
- The expression of emotion is often an overlooked aspect of work and consequently is easily neglected in the design of collaborative information systems. However, in collaborative work, emotion expressions can play an important function in how each individual works as well as how the team works together. As work environments become increasingly computerized, the unintended consequence of the introduction of information systems on emotion awareness emerges. This can be a serious issue for certain highly coordinated, information intensive critical environments such as in the healthcare field. In this dissertation, I investigate the occurrence of work-related emotion expressions in the real-world work environment of a hospital emergency room (ER). Effective communication and coordination between personnel in an ER can literally mean the difference between life and death. Due to the high rate of information sharing errors, hospitals are beginning to push for the integration of electronic patient records and other information systems in the hopes it will improve communication, and that this in turn will increase safety and efficiency. At the same time, there have been many examples of unintended consequences that have emerged as the result of the implementation of electronic patient records. A central premise of this dissertation is that the expression of emotion is one of these informal aspects of coordination that may be lost or mishandled in the move toward increased technology support. To examine the occurrence and function of emotion expressions, I conducted a six-month field study of interaction in a large urban hospital in the Northeastern United States. This field study consisted of observations of ER personnel, formal and informal interviews, artifact analysis of formal ER patient records and administrative documents, and a reflexive diary to reflect on my own emotional reactions. The first contribution of this dissertation is to explain why emotions are expressed in the ER. This includes uncovering the sources of work-related emotion in an ER, the functional roles of the expression of those emotions, and the consequence on the work of the ER. The second contribution of this dissertation is to explain how emotion expressions are modified in the ER. This contribution shows the effect of various stakeholders’ constraining and enabling behaviors on the expression of emotions in the ER. The third contribution is to expand and articulate the role of emotion expression in the development of emotion awareness in work. The final contribution is to discuss how these findings can guide the design of systems for the emotion awareness in the ER as well as discuss the possible unintended consequences of a greater technology driven ER.