The Socio-technical Foundations of Health Information Work

Socio-technical values, principles, and theories are foundational knowledge for health information professionals. These emphasise that people who work with technology are augmented by it, not subordinate to it. Applying them can contribute to more effective design, development, implementation, management, and use of digital health and information systems. This chapter briefy describes the origins and underlying values of the socio-technical approach. It then discusses theories and key concepts. The second section demonstrates the relevance of sociotechnical design to the health services in general and health information professionals, in particular. Examples from research and case studies are used to demonstrate how this workforce can apply socio-technical values and principles.