Pragmatic approaches for studying workflow in health informatics

Objective: To develop recommendations to inform the development and use of pragmatic workflow approaches. Problem Description: Workflow analysis in research is rigorous but also resource-intensive, requiring extensive expertise, labor, and time. However, workflow analysis is needed in clinics during technology implementation or evaluation over time in which such labor and time are not necessarily readily available. Pragmatic workflow approaches are required to enable individuals and organizations to conduct workflow analysis as needed in a timely and efficient way. Results: We adapted five principles to guide pragmatic workflow studies: relevance, actionability, comprehensibility, ethical reasoning, and iterative assessment. We also detailed a six-step guideline. Discussion and Conclusion: Pragmatic workflow approaches use fewer resources by appropriately trading off rigor to create empirically relevant workflow analysis and recommendations. However, managing this trade-off can be challenging. We can learn from case studies that apply these approaches to determine strategies for future modifications.