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Understanding “Work as Done”: Using a Structured Video-Based Observational Method to Understand and Model the Role of the Physical Environment in Complex Clinical Work Systems

Objective: To describe the planning, development, and implementation of a structured video-based observational method that can be used to systematically examine and model the role of the physical environment within healthcare systems. Background: Direct observation methods are often used in healthcare to study complex healthcare systems. However, these observations often occur in real time, which predisposes the collected data to shortcomings such as time lags in recording of activities, overlooking events, or limiting the scope of information than can be collected. Video observation approaches eliminate many of these challenges and provide opportunities for researchers to understand and model the role of the physical environment. Methods: An approach to developing and implementing a structured video-based observational method to study and model complex health systems is presented. Results: A structured observational approach can be highly effective for collecting multiple layers of data necessary for understanding interactions between the physical environment and other systems components in healthcare settings. The proposed video-based observation method is effective in settings that have clearly defined environmental boundaries, limited number of people, are complex and fast-paced such as the OR, ED trauma rooms, and ICU rooms. Conclusions: Video-based observation is an effective complement to the traditional observational method for in-depth study of the built environment in health systems, enabling researchers to employ quantitative approaches to data collection and analysis, in addition to qualitative interpretations.