Chapter 19, Problem 19.4E

Explanation of Solution

Wicked Problem of Medical records:

A wicked problem is a problem that is so complex and which involves so many related entities that there is no definitive problem specification.

• Different stakeholders see the problem in different ways and no one has a full understanding of the problem as a whole.
• A wicked problem does not have any definite problem specification.
• The specifications are mostly changing, incomplete and hard to recognize and contradictory.
• A wicked problem cannot be solved with a linear approach and hence it is difficult to solve a wicked problem.

The development of a national medical records system is a wicked problem because of the following reasons:

• Patient records are maintained in their own way by different medical specialties and institutions according to how they use these records. In a national system, there is no general agreement on what information must be maintained and the way in which that information is presented...