ABSTRACT
An Exemplary Account of an Event ...................................................................... 140 Radiotherapy (Radiation Treatment) ...................................................................... 141 The Radiotherapy Unit and the Radiotherapy Chart .............................................. 141 The Course of Study .............................................................................................. 144
A Detailed Cognitive Analysis of the Existing Radiotherapy Chart ................. 145 Characterization of the Content and Form Requirements of the New Chart .... 146 Designing the New Chart .................................................................................. 146 The Introduction of the New Chart for Use in the Radiotherapy Unit .............. 147
Cognitive Problems in Working with Forms and Solutions That Were Integrated in the New Design ................................................................................. 147
Complete and Explicit Presentation of the Information .................................... 147 The Lack of Designated Fields for Documenting Information Increases the Memory Load and Limits Accessibility of the Information ................... 148 Leaving Cells Blank Creates a Dangerous Ambiguity ................................. 149
Legibility and Organization of the Information ................................................ 149 Lack of Consistency in Displaying Data Increases the Probability of Copying Mistakes and Reading Errors ......................................................... 150 Lack of Human Factors Principles to Improve Information Legibility ........ 150
Supporting Quality Assurance and Means of Verication ................................ 151 The Chart Does Not Provide a Format and Structure for Calculating and Monitoring Processes ............................................................................ 151 Problems in Identifying Changes Made during the Course of the Treatment and Verifying Them ..................................................................... 152
Modularity and Flexibility ................................................................................ 152
Malignant neoplasms are not fought by surgical treatment and medication alone, but also by precise bombing of the core of the malignant tissue with ionizing radiation, a treatment performed in designated hospital centers. The physician ordering medication for a patient, whether through infusion or orally, does so as did many generations of physicians before him/ her and by using explicit drug prescription procedures. The dosage and different methods used to deliver the drug are determined by the information a physician has regarding the patient’s presenting condition: age, weight, and medications taken.
