Participatory Design of EHR Components: Crafting Novel Relational Spaces for IT Specialists and Hospital Staff to Cooperate

Abstract: Introduced in the early 2010s, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have become ubiquitous in hospitals. Despite clear benefits, they remain unpopular among healthcare professionals and present significant challenges. Positioned at the intersection of Health Information Systems studies, Computer Supported Collaborative Work (CSCW), Service Design, and Participatory Design (PD), our research investigates how involving users in the co-design of new EHR components within a dedicated hospital space can transform healthcare practices. Through participatory co-design methodologies, including ethnographic observation, collaborative workshops, and realistic simulations, we identify the material and interactional elements essential for rebalancing power dynamics between users and designers. This project contributes to rethinking traditional EHR design approaches, embedding design practice into systemic transformation to genuinely meet healthcare professionals' needs.