Time Matters in Groups

Abstract

This chapter suggests the obstacles to formalizing the diagnostic process through increased reliance on computer-based information systems is that physicians typically assess the adequacy of medical information on the basis of the perceived credibility of the source, whether the source is the patient or another physician. Medical decision making in university hospitals is an example of socially distributed cognition that is carried out through the medium of task-relevant discourse. Hutchins argues that the social and temporal organization of cognitive activity outweigh the frequent preoccupation with individual intelligence or cognition in accounting for performance in a variety of domains. A unique type of interaction between the infectious disease attending (IDA) and pathology attending (PA) existed in the two hospitals. The work setting examined briefly in this chapter includes several problem solving tasks and an institutionalized division of labor that formally specifies the kinds of knowledge background or expertise associated with persons occupying particular positions.