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The role of physical design and informal communication

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2006; Xyrichis & Ream, 2008; Rubin & Beckhard, 1972). Rubin <strong>and</strong> Beckhard<br />

(1972) assert that the effective flow <strong>of</strong> information is central to team functioning, <strong>and</strong><br />

anything that inhibits <strong>communication</strong> will detract from group effectiveness.<br />

1.7 Communication Patterns in Healthcare<br />

A growing body <strong>of</strong> research suggests that despite the availability <strong>of</strong> more formal<br />

modes <strong>of</strong> information seeking, such as email <strong>and</strong> printed records, healthcare<br />

pr<strong>of</strong>essionals prefer <strong>informal</strong> verbal conversation. Coiera <strong>and</strong> Tombs (1998) found<br />

that staff have a tendency to seek information from colleagues in preference to printed<br />

materials – 42 percent <strong>of</strong> calls for medical staff came from their medical colleagues.<br />

This finding is consistent with the work <strong>of</strong> Covell (1985) who found that about 50<br />

percent <strong>of</strong> requests for information came from colleagues while only about a quarter<br />

came from personal notes, <strong>and</strong> even less came from laboratory data.<br />

Specifically, researchers are observing a preference for a specific type <strong>of</strong><br />

verbal conversation – face-to-face <strong>communication</strong>. Parker <strong>and</strong> Coiera (2000) cite a<br />

study by Safran et al. (1999) who reviewed information transactions in a hospital <strong>and</strong><br />

found that 50 percent <strong>of</strong> information transactions occurred face-to-face between<br />

colleagues. In the previously mentioned study by Coiera <strong>and</strong> Tombs (1998), results<br />

concluded that staff showed a preference for face-to-face discussion. <strong>The</strong> study<br />

observed the <strong>communication</strong> patterns <strong>of</strong> physicians <strong>and</strong> nurses in a general hospital<br />

with the following available modes <strong>of</strong> <strong>communication</strong>: face-to-face meetings, both<br />

impromptu <strong>and</strong> planned; desktop telephones; paging; written notes for colleagues in<br />

patient notes; notes at ward desks; notice boards; <strong>and</strong> pigeon holes for personal<br />

memos. <strong>The</strong> study participants made little or no use <strong>of</strong> formal sources <strong>of</strong> information,<br />

except for data from the medical record. Coiera <strong>and</strong> Tombs hypothesize that medical<br />

staff may prefer to engage in opportunistic face-to-face discussion (as opposed to<br />

13

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