Asynchronous cooperation in healthcare: taking into account the management of patient variability in the design of a flexible workflow tool.

The aim of this research is to characterize the practices of asynchronous cooperation implemented by radiographers in radiotherapy in order to guarantee the quality of this treatment. This study is a part of an industrial project to design a computerized tool supporting cooperative work (workflow tool) in radiotherapy. The methodology involves observation of the entire radiotherapy process and interviews with radiographers who work in the downstream and upstream phases of the treatment. The results describe the type and function of asynchronous cooperation practices used by radiographers to manage patient variability and to organise treatment sessions in order to guarantee quality of care. They open up perspectives concerning the consideration of asynchronous cooperation practices embedded in the design of collaborative tools in healthcare field.