eHealth-extended Care Coordination: Development of a Collaborative System for Inter-municipal Dementia Teams-A research project with a user-centered design approach

Abstract

In Norway, a health reform was recently adopted to improve continuity of care. Services that were carried out in hospitals were transferred to municipalities. Small and medium size municipalities have established inter-municipal cooperation to provide specialized services across borders. The research project eHealth-extended Care Coordination studied the inter-municipal cooperation for assessment of dementia, identifying a need for improved communication and coordination. This paper presents the development process of a collaborative information system for dementia assessment using a user-centered design approach. Mixed methods, such as observations, semi-structured interviews and questionnaire, were used for data collection. The results showed that end-user involvement usefully informed the development. The information system effectively supported collaborative work and shared access to information for the inter-municipal team.