Calls for Care

Medical call centres have in many countries been designed by applying ICT s and standardised guidelines. This book questions the technologically driven design of such services, on basis of 15 years of sociological research on the Norwegian medical emergency call centres. It is documented that technologies are embedded in a social, institutional, and professional context: the interplay between such factors determines service quality. The book is both about the design and use of medical emergency call services and more generally about how the use of technologies emerges within, and is being formed by, contextual factors. By drawing on previous research on organisations and ICT s, the book especially draws attention to how practice in emergency services is sensitive to local and institutional complexities. Further, teamwork interaction in emergency centres is closely studied, with emphasis on how various technologies support team coordination in varying degrees. The book will be of interest to researchers on health services, organisations, teamwork dynamics, and ICT s, health practitioners and managers, as well as those interested in health policy.

Autorentext

Aksel Tjora is Professor of Sociology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and at the Norwegian Centre for Telemedicine (NST). His research is focused on the interaction between users and technologies in a number of areas, such as health, communication, architecture, music, within organisations and in public space.

Klappentext

Medical call centres have in many countries been designed by applying ICT's and standardised guidelines. This book questions the technologically driven design of such services, on basis of 15 years of sociological research on the Norwegian medical emergency call centres. It is documented that technologies are embedded in a social, institutional, and professional context: the interplay between such factors determines service quality. The book is both about the design and use of medical emergency call services and more generally about how the use of technologies emerges within, and is being formed by, contextual factors. By drawing on previous research on organisations and ICT's, the book especially draws attention to how practice in emergency services is sensitive to local and institutional complexities. Further, teamwork interaction in emergency centres is closely studied, with emphasis on how various technologies support team coordination in varying degrees. The book will be of interest to researchers on health services, organisations, teamwork dynamics, and ICT's, health practitioners and managers, as well as those interested in health policy.