Digital Health Co-Design
Observation
Observation
Observation is a method that involves systematically watching people in their real-world context to understand how they interact with systems, tools, or environments.
Application Example
In a study on designing a Learning EMR (LEMR) system, researchers observed ICU physicians during their routine preparation for morning rounds. This direct observation captured physicians’ authentic interactions with the EMR in real time, revealing inefficiencies, cognitive load, and unspoken workarounds that might not surface in interviews alone. To deepen understanding, observations were followed by semi-structured interviews outside the care setting, where participants reflected on their workflows, decision-making processes, and specific behaviours noted during observation. Together, this approach allowed researchers not only to uncover latent problems in EMR use but also to contextualize these findings through physicians’ own explanations, providing a rich evidence base for subsequent design improvements. (Calzoni et al., 2020)