Learners, Contextual & Task Analyses

Learner Analysis

General Characteristics
All physicians and staff working for the private Retina Eye Specialists
practice in Tampa, Florida will receive instruction on how to operate Rcopia an
electronic prescription computer program; the office personnel consists of five
adult staff members, and two physicians. The all-female staff includes a licensed
practical nurse (LPN), a registered nurse (RN), and three technicians whose
ages range from 30-50 years old. The staff all have at least a high school
diploma (some have bachelors degrees) and have worked at the office for at
least three years. Both physicians at Retina Eye Specialists have been practicing
medicine at this specific practice for ten or more years; the male doctor is 55 and
his female partner is 46.
Specific Characteristics
None of the personnel at Retina Eye Specialists have any experience
using Rcopia, or any other electronic prescribing technology. All of the learners
are fluent in English, have basic math skills, and are proficient computer users.
None of the learners have reported any disabilities, and all have proven to be
able to thrive and adapt in a busy medical office environment. Interviews with the
members of the office indicate that all personnel are excited and motivated to
learn how to use the Rcopia program.
Contextual Analysis

Orienting Context
The learners feel that the instruction they will be receiving about how to
properly operate Rcopia will be beneficial to them in the future; they will not have
to play around with the software and use a trial and error method to learn how
to use the program. The office as a whole is excited about implementing this new
technology, as it will hopefully streamline the prescription prescribing process,
and help keep more accurate medical records. They are excited to learn this new
technology and become interconnected with the healthcare world, like many
other practices already are.
The learners have stated that upon completion of this training they expect
to know how to:

Operate Rcopia with ease

Send error-free prescriptions to pharmacies using Rcopia

Locate resources to consult for help after the training has been completed
if they have additional questions

Instructional Context
The training will be conducted face-to-face in the office waiting room
during normal business hours; it will take place on an agreed upon day when the
office is closed to patients. Conducting the training in the learners everyday work
environment will give them a sense of comfort because they are familiar with
their surroundings, and will not have to orient themselves to an unfamiliar
location.
Trainer(s) will provide tables, laptops, and mice for the staff to use during
the training; the computers will have the same operating system as the ones they

currently use in the office. The trainers will also bring a projector and projector
screen to show a demonstration/tutorial of Rcopia before the learners begin
trying to use the program on their own. The instructor(s) will be present for the
duration of the instruction; they will directly instruct the learners, and also be
available to answer questions that may arise as the learners progress through
the self-paced part of the instruction. To foster a relaxed learning environment
snacks will be provided.

Transfer Context
At the end of the training the instructors will help install Rcopia on the
computers in the office; they will make sure the software is running properly and
ready to be used by the office personnel. The personnel will be able to put their
Rcopia training into action, in a real life setting, as soon as there is a patient who
needs a prescription prescribed. The instructors will leave the learners with
instructions on how to access the help features built into Rcopia, the telephone
number to call for live help, and how to access the online chat support system if
they are in need of help after the training has been completed.

Staff Procedural Analysis

1.0 Obtain patient file
1.1 Locate physicians notes regarding the prescription to be sent to the
pharmacy for

the patient
2.0 Log in to Rcopia
2.1 Click on Rcopia icon and allow program to open
2.2 Type username in the box marked Username
2.3 Type password in the box marked Password
2.4 Click the Submit button
3.0 Search for desired patient in the patient profile database
Visual cue: If the patient profile does not come up during the search, the
patient

has not yet been entered into the database

3.1 Select desired patient

3.2 If the patient is not in the system, click Add Patient

3.2.1 Enter patient name
3.2.2 Enter patient date of birth
3.2.3 Enter patient height and weight
3.2.4 Enter patient sex
3.2.5 Enter patient address
3.2.6 Enter patient phone number
3.2.7 Enter patient social security number
3.2.8 Enter patient insurance information
4.0 Select the drug and strength (following the physicians notes) to be
prescribed from the dropdown box
Visual cue: The system displays drugs alphabetically and by increasing
strength
5.0 Enter the quantity of the drug to be dispensed
6.0 Review the default instructions populated by the program
6.1 If the default dosage instructions are not what the physician ordered,
manually type the desired directions for use by the patient in the box

marked

Instructions

7.0 Select the correct number of refills from the drop down menu
8.0 Verify the patient does not have any known allergies to the medication (or
family of drug) being prescribed
Visual cue: A red triangle with an exclamation mark in it will appear if the
system detects a known allergy to this type of medication
8.1 If the patient does have a possible allergy to the medication STOP
immediately and notify physician
9.0 Verify that the drug being prescribed does not have any known adverse
interactions with the drug(s) the patient is currently taking
Visual cue: A red triangle with an exclamation mark in it will appear if the
system detects a possible adverse drug interaction
9.1 If the drug being prescribed has known adverse reactions with a drug
the

patient is already taking STOP and notify the prescribing physician

10.0 Identify patients preferred pharmacy from patient file

10.1 If a pharmacy has not been requested call the patient to ask what
pharmacy

they would like the prescription to be filled at

11.0 Locate pharmacy in Rcopia database

11.1 Search for pharmacy by zip code
11.1.1 Click on desired pharmacy to select it
11.2 If the desired pharmacy does not appear call the location and verify
they take electronic prescriptions
11.2.1 If the pharmacy does accept electronic prescriptions but are
not in the Rcopia system database, their information must be
manually entered into the system
11.2.1.1 Click Add new Pharmacy
11.2.1.2 Enter pharmacy name

11.2.1.3 Enter pharmacy address

11.2.1.4 Enter pharmacy phone number
11.2.1.5 Enter pharmacy fax number
11.2.1.6 Enter pharmacy DEA number
11.2.1.7 Enter pharmacy store number
11.2.2 If they do not fill electronic prescriptions use the protocols in
place to phone in the prescription
12.0 Click the Prescribe button to send the prescription to the physicians que
for his/her review

Physician Procedural Analysis

Scenario: Physician receives an electronic notification requesting his/her

authorization of a prescription ready to be sent to the pharmacy for fulfillment

1.0 Log in to Rcopia

1.1 Click on Rcopia icon and allow program to open
1.2 Type username in the box marked Username
1.3 Type password in the box marked Password
1.4 Click the Submit button
2.0 Click on Review Queue to view the pending prescription(s) requiring
authorization
2.1 Click on desired item in queue requiring authorization
3.0 Verify the information in the system is correct
3.1 Patient information
3.1.1 If patient information is incorrect, make the necessary

corrections
3.2 Drug name
3.2.1 If the intended drug is not displayed, use the drop down box to
select the

desired drug

3.3 Drug strength

3.3.1 If the strength of the drug is incorrect, choose the correct strength
from the drop down menu
3.4 Drug dosage
3.4.1 If the dosage is incorrect
3.4.1.1 Choose the correct dosage from the drop down menu
3.4.1.2 If the desired dosage is not a prepopulated option in the
system,
type in the desired dosage to be administered
3.5 Drug quantity
3.5.1 If the quantity of the drug is incorrect
3.5.1.1 Choose the correct quantity from the drop down menu
3.5.1.2 If the desired quantity is not a prepopulated option in the
system,
type in the desired quantity to be dispensed
3.6 Number of refills
3.6.1 If the number of refills is incorrect, use the drop down box to
select the
desired number of refills
3.7 No known allergies to prescribed medication
3.7.1 If the patient does have an allergy to this medication (or the family
of

drugs it falls into) STOP and return to step 3.2 and choose a drug

the

patient is not allergic to

Visual cue: A red triangle with an exclamation mark in it will appear

if the system detects a known allergy to this type of medication
3.8 No known adverse interactions with drugs the patient is currently
taking
3.8.1 If the drug being prescribed has known adverse reactions with
a
drug the patient is already taking STOP and return to step 3.2 to
reevaluate the drug choice
Visual cue: A red triangle with an exclamation mark in it will appear
if the system detects a possible adverse drug interaction
4.0. Send prescription to pharmacy to be filled
4.1 Type physician security code in the box marked Signature Password
4.2 Click Send to Pharmacy button