Descriptions of Macrocognitive Functions
| Function | Description |
|---|---|
| Sensemaking and learning (SL) | Deliberate attempt to find coherent situational understanding |
| Modifying a mental model or generating a new one | |
| Includes sense giving (presenting an understanding to others to adopt) | |
| Decision making (DM) | Decisions in, or about, patient care and administrative processes |
| Planning and replanning (PL) | Shaping or reshaping patient care or administrative processes |
| Monitoring and problem detection (MD) | Tracking the progress or outcomes of patient care or administrative processes |
| Planned, ad hoc (“noticing”), formal (data collection), or informal | |
| Managing the unknown, unclear, unexpected, and irregular (MU) | Planned or anticipatory (contingencies, fallbacks) |
| Evaluating/estimating risks | |
| Unplanned, “scrambling” | |
| Coordinating (CO) | Any activity that helps synchronize 2 or more individuals in a patient care or administrative process, especially transmitting information or expectations |
| Maintenance of “common ground,” shared expectations/understanding/mental models of processes |