Medical Devices
Thermometer
NursingPerspective
The thermometer is an electronic device use to gather information about the body temperature. It usually is consisted of a machine that tells you the body temperature and a rod which goes on a body orfice to measure the heat given off.
Information perspective
The input for the device is the heat given off by the body. The output is the heat measured and given off in a number. There is also a software component to some electrial thermometer which you can change the output from fahrenheit to celsius or visa versa. Or you can change if you want to take the temperature at the axillary, oral or anal settings. The information it produces is synchronous, and will directly determine if further interventions may be needed if the patient has a fever or infection. Nurses use the information from this device to make sure the patient is in a stable condition free from infections. This is a synchronous tool in that it's a direct interaction between nurse and the patient. If any value of the temperature is abnormal the nurse will immediatly take action.
Usability
This device is very usable. Anyone with minimal instructions can use it. The affordance matches the object. It consists of a stick with a electronic monitor attached to it. No one really confuses the Thermometer with another tool. In terms of ergonomics, the thermoter is small and portable. It is easy to carry around and easy to use. It also is great with mapping. it tells you where you should take the temperature at, and the tempterature when you finish taking it.
Improvements
The thermometer can be improved by letting it record a patient's temperature, and it will make a sound if the temperature if not normal, alerting the caregiver of the problem.
X-Ray result
NursingPerspective
The X-Ray will help the doctor determine the problem with the patient. This device will give us the information about the body's structral problem. Once the doctor knows the problem, they can tell the nurses the plan of care for the patient.
Information perspective
The input for the device is when the x-ray scans the body. The body's structure will be translated into x-ray films which will be the output. The software of the x-ray is what the doctors use to make it scan a certain section of the human body, and allows the doctor to control the x-ray scanning. This is a synchronous tool. Once the doctor has the scan and has a diagnosis, than he will be able to carry out the treatment.
Usability
This device is not very usable. People cannot operate the machine without training. In terms of Affordance the x-ray does not portay a machine that takes pictures of your body. From the term x-ray, one would assume a ray would be shined on the body. This is definitly not true in real life. The mapping is fine in that x-rays are designed to scan only a certain part of the body. A person will not have all parts of the body scanned if they only need their teeth scanned. In terms of Ergonomics the X-ray has been engineered to scan humans. Though it may not be very comfortable, the x-ray does carry out it's purpose.
Improvements
A major improvement of the x-ray would be a portable handheld x-ray like a camera. This would make it easy to operate, and self explainitory. One just takes a picture of the body part they need. If it was like a camera, anyone can have an X-ray anytime.
Lab Results
NursingPerspective
This sheet of paper tells the lab values of each patient. It alerts the nurse of abnormal values the patient may have, so that the nurse may take appropriate actions
Information perspective
The input is mostly the patient's blood. This blood will be sent to the lab where they will determine the normal lab values for the patient and send it back up to the unit as the output. The lab will have many machines with many different softwares that will help determine the values of each lab. This is an asynchronous tool. Many people can look at it, and add to it's information on what should be done to the patient based on the lab values.
Usability
This device is very usuable to healthcare professionals. Most adequetly trained professionals can take a look at the lab results and get some information about the patient from it. It's just a single sheet of paper so it's affordance is great. The peice of paper carrys out it's purpose in telling us the lab results. It will be organized in charts which makes it easy to read. That means the mapping is excellent. In terms of Ergonomics, it's great because it's very nicely organized, and portable.
Improvements
An improvement for the device might be organization. Sometimes it may be hard to find out where a certain lab value is among the rest of the labwork.
O2 oximetery
NursingPerspective
This device tells the nurse if the patient is receiving enough O2. It gathers information about how much O2 is in a body part and reports it as a percentile to the nurse.
Information perspective
The input is the transparency of a person's extremity- i.e- toes, fingers. The output is how much O2 saturation a person has. The software interperates the light in a person's extremety and outputs a figure that will related to a person's O2 staturation. This is a synchronous tool in that if the O2 vaule is below 90%, immediate action- like putting patient on 2L O2 is carried out. This is a direct interaction between the nurse, patient and tool.
Usability
This object is very usuable. In term of affordance the object nowhere implies it's function. No one would guess that you can obtain a O2 measurement by clipping a person with a peice of plastic. In terms of mapping it's great. Once clipped onto a patient it'll tell you the 02 level and the heart rate level of the patient. It's great in terms of ergonomics because its a small portable device and it clips onto patients without any hassle or pain.
Improvements
An improvement would probably make it look like it can measure O2 by letting it attach to the nose instead.
Spirometer
NursingPerspective
This device tells the nurse if the patient is at risk for pneumonia. It is also used to prevent pneumonia in hospitals
Information perspective
The input to this device is when the patient does a deep inhale into the tool. The output is how far the patient can move a guage in the tool. There is no software for this item.
Usability
This is very usuable. In terms of affordance it looks just as it's suppose to function. There is a place where you put your mouth to, and a guage that moves when you inhale. In terms of mapping, the guage that moves is accurately measured by lines drawn on the spirometer. The ergonomics are great to in that spirometers are small, portable and easy to use.
Improvements
An improvement would be to have an electrical measurement of the output instead of manually reading it.
