Integration of a new technology into a work system: a case study of a smart drinking glass in French nursing homes

PurposeTo reduce the risk of dehydration in older adults, the French company Auxivia has developed a smart drinking glass (SDG) that can measure the amount of water drunk. The present study looked at the various work systems (WSs) designed for use of the SDG in a nursing home. The study's objectives were to (i) determine the WSs' impact on the staff's ability to comply with the device's prerequisites and ensure the device's effective use and (ii) draw up guidelines on designing work systems.Materials and methodsAt three nursing homes in France, two independent observers performed 9 h of observations at each site and a total of 29 interviews.ResultsDecisions concerning implementation and the resulting WSs have an impact on the tasks to be performed, the tasks' inherent constraints and the use of the SDG. It is essential to take account of the sociotechnical system as a whole before integrating a technology. Ideally, the introduction of an SDG will go unnoticed by staff and residents; however, our results emphasize the value of highlighting work constraints via a human factors analysis.ConclusionsIt is essential to take account of sociotechnical WSs as a whole when integrating a technology.