Browsing by Author "Unertl, Kim M."

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    Developing new pathways into the biomedical informatics field: the AMIA High School Scholars Program
    (Oxford University Press, 2016) Unertl, Kim M.; Finnell, John T.; Sarkar, Indra Neil; Emergency Medicine, School of Medicine
    Increasing access to biomedical informatics experiences is a significant need as the field continues to face workforce challenges. Looking beyond traditional medical school and graduate school pathways into the field is crucial for expanding the number of individuals and increasing diversity in the field. This case report provides an overview of the development and initial implementation of the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) High School Scholars Program. Initiated in 2014, the program's primary goal was to provide dissemination opportunities for high school students engaged in biomedical informatics research. We discuss success factors including strong cross-institutional, cross-organizational collaboration and the high quality of high school student submissions to the program. The challenges encountered, especially around working with minors and communicating program expectations clearly, are also discussed. Finally, we present the path forward for the continued evolution of the AMIA High School Scholars Program.
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    Medication Management: The Macrocognitive Workflow of Older Adults With Heart Failure
    (JMIR Publications Inc., 2016-10-12) Mickelson, Robin S.; Unertl, Kim M.; Holden, Richard J.; Department of BioHealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing
    BACKGROUND: Older adults with chronic disease struggle to manage complex medication regimens. Health information technology has the potential to improve medication management, but only if it is based on a thorough understanding of the complexity of medication management workflow as it occurs in natural settings. Prior research reveals that patient work related to medication management is complex, cognitive, and collaborative. Macrocognitive processes are theorized as how people individually and collaboratively think in complex, adaptive, and messy nonlaboratory settings supported by artifacts. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research was to describe and analyze the work of medication management by older adults with heart failure, using a macrocognitive workflow framework. METHODS: We interviewed and observed 61 older patients along with 30 informal caregivers about self-care practices including medication management. Descriptive qualitative content analysis methods were used to develop categories, subcategories, and themes about macrocognitive processes used in medication management workflow. RESULTS: We identified 5 high-level macrocognitive processes affecting medication management-sensemaking, planning, coordination, monitoring, and decision making-and 15 subprocesses. Data revealed workflow as occurring in a highly collaborative, fragile system of interacting people, artifacts, time, and space. Process breakdowns were common and patients had little support for macrocognitive workflow from current tools. CONCLUSIONS: Macrocognitive processes affected medication management performance. Describing and analyzing this performance produced recommendations for technology supporting collaboration and sensemaking, decision making and problem detection, and planning and implementation.