Biomedical Informatics

Cognitive Sciences

Cognitive Science is a multidisciplinary field that borrows theories and methods from computer science, cognitive psychology, linguistics, philosophy and cognitive anthropology. Research in medical cognition is devoted to the study of medical decision-making, cognitive foundations of health behaviors, and the effective use of computer-based information technologies. The research has particular focus on the analysis of medical error, models of naturalistic problem solving and decision-making, development and use of clinical guidelines, and evaluation of human-computer interactions. The research is guided by a concern for improving performance of individuals and teams in the healthcare system. Towards this end, the focus will be on the cognitive characteristics involved in learning, instruction, and in the design of decision-support and other health information technologies for safe use in clinical environments.

Faculty Contact: Vimla L. Patel

Project Title:
Cognitive Complexity and Error in Critical Care

The complex nature of healthcare work has been proposed as a primary barrier to the implementation of effective safety measures. Conventional approaches to error are poorly suited to this complexity. Within the culture of medicine, the traditional approach to error involves assigning blame to a single individual. This attitude towards error is exemplified by the litigious climate and medical malpractice claims in the United States today. However, the framework of individual accountability is poorly suited to address the problem of medical error, as it fails to address the complexity of the system within which medical error occurs. Medical error is only rarely the result of the actions of a single person, and several leading error researchers have raised the importance of systemic causes of medical error. Human error will always be a factor, but recurring systemic weaknesses are amenable to intervention and correction. A productive approach to error reduction and management requires a contextual understanding of how errors tend to occur.

Researchers: Vimla L. Patel, Trevor Cohen, Kanav Kahol
Collaborator: Marshall Smith, Banner Health; John Ferrara, Banner Health; Jiajie Zhang, University of Texas-Houston; Timothy Buchman, Washington University, St. Louis
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/cognitive.php

Project Title:
Bioscience Research Integration Software Platform

The proposed study will involve study of scientific practices and productivity in two labs at Hopkins, followed by implementation of a prototype software platform developed initially at Hopkins and now licensed and under development by BioFortis Inc.

Researcher: Vimla L. Patel
Collaborator: Mikael Lindval; Jian Wang; Steven Bova, Johns Hopkins University
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/bioscience.php

Project Title:
Usability Evaluation of AHLTA

Human-centered methods and techniques specifically developed for healthcare domains are necessary for the successful development of EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems that increase efficiency, productivity, ease of use, ease of learning, user adoption, retention, and satisfaction, and decrease medical errors, development time and cost, and support and training cost. The objective of our project is to apply UFuRT (User, Functional, Representational, and Task Analyses) to the design and evaluation of the AHLTA EHR used by the military.

Researcher: Vimla L. Patel
Collaborator: Jiajie Zhang, University of Texas-Houston
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/usability.php

Project Title:
Image Mining for Comparative Analysis of Expression Patterns in Tissue Micro-Arrays

The central objective of this proposal is to design, develop, deploy and evaluate a content-based image retrieval system for performing quick, reliable comparative analysis of expression patterns in cancer tissue microarrays.

Researcher: Vimla L. Patel
Collaborator: David Foran, UMDNJ Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/image.php

Project Title:
Cognition and Error Management in Critical Care

The core objective of this research is to develop a cognitive framework of medical errors in critical care environments (medicine, surgery and psychiatry), where decisions are often made under high stress, time pressure, and with incomplete information.

Researcher: Vimla L. Patel
Collaborator: Jiajie Zhang, University of Texas-Houston
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/cognition.php

Project Title:
Cognitive Aspects of Mental Disorder Diagnosis and Treatment in Primary Care
Depression and anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and often profoundly impairing. In low-income communities, primary care physicians (PCPs) are often the only source of care for these disorders, yet PCPs often under-diagnose and ineffectively manage them. Moreover, little is known about PCPsÕ decision-making processes for mental disorders. This is a new and important focus for services research, driven by the overarching goal of finding more effective ways to deliver psychiatric care in PC.

Researcher: Vimla L. Patel
For more information: http://cognitive.asu.edu/research/mentalhealth.php