Studying evolving Knowledge Infrastructures

Abstract

This master thesis is about studying evolving knowledge infrastructures, through a case study at Ahus (Akershus University Hospital). The hospital integrated the knowledge repository, PPS (Practical Procedures for the nursing service) and the core information system for nurses work, the Electronic Patient Record (EPR) as part of establishing a comprehensive knowledge infrastructure to support professional knowledge work. I studied how the integration was implemented and explored nurses’ understanding and perceptions about when, how, why they use the integrated information systems, and how this adds to the already existing complex knowledge infrastructure at the hospital. The idea of integrating a knowledge repository in the core information system of health care workers, and thereby their core work processes adds to the notion of understanding technology-mediated knowledge practices in knowledge intensive organizations. The study draws on theoretical and methodological resources from the intersection between learning in organizations, organizational sciences, and information systems studies.The main purpose of introducing the integrated PPS-DIPS was to improve quality of the given health care by promoting and facilitating evidence-based practice, staff development and use the clinical procedures. The empirical material and my analysis illustrates that it is possible to fulfill these purposes, if the organization, managers in charge and users reflect on the existing affordances in the knowledge infrastructure and build further on the social organizing of work processes in the infrastructure.