Exploring the Construction Process of Technical Knowledge in the Healthcare Sector

Various technologies are being implemented in the healthcare sector, and this is followed by different degrees of enthusiasm and support. The importance of having sufficient sources for i.e. adequate technology and strong technical support has been increasingly acknowledged. Manuals and guidelines are provided to the staff, and training sessions are usually conducted during the initial phases of the implementation. After using the technology for a period of time, new technical knowledge is gradually accumulated and reinforces new work practices. In this paper, I will explore the process of knowledge in the making, and look at how it is actively constructed and continuously re-constructed? How is it eventually stabilized and made durable, or when is it rejected? How is knowledge translated to practice and how is it distributed across professional boundaries?

To address the following questions, I will draw upon an ethnographic research that focuses on the implementation of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in a community healthcare center, in Canada. During a period of more than one year, I participated in meetings conducted by a committee that was established especially to deal with various challenges faced with the EMR. During these meetings, EMR related knowledge is constructed in networks of practices, where a set of possibilities are explored and continuously accommodated to the situated and contingent work practices. Analyses from this study, point out to the significance of such meetings, which provide space for knowledge creation and distribution.