Problem Solving, Creativity and h2cm - or P.S. Sedbergh is a book-town ;-)

Yesterday in Sedbergh I visited a couple of bookshops. I came away with four (second-hand) titles, one was Corwin Bennett's Spaces for People: Human Factors In Design, 1977, Prentice-Hall. It's a small paperback that shows how long 'human factors' research has been around - the text mentions 'computers' but not 'PCs'.

In chapter 10 on Creativity and Problem Solving (p. 163) there is a very simplistic figure which I have copied at left. I think the next paper (if there is another in me) must really tackle what Hodges' model is beyond the 'conceptual framework'?

Problems have always figured in my nursing and informatics career. As a human being thank goodness for the ongoing marriage between creativity and our problem solving proclivity (we are going to need it) .

Scanning the book shelves (the architecture section in this case) at £4 this book was a bargain.

Bennett's translation from creativity to problem solving invites discussion of:

1. the overall complexity within (and without!) health and social care disciplines;
2. the complexity of care pathways in theory, practice and policy;
3. the need to re-appraise our information gathering and recording (pre & post ICT implementation);
4. and how Hodges' model (see below) might concurrently represent and possibly disseminate care states:
• statically as snapshots;
• or dynamically (anyone for a challenge?).

I will try to expand on the above as things (hopefully) fall into place and mention those other books...

It is the NW England Drupal meeting tomorrow night.