The effects of timing and collaboration on dependability in the neonatal intensive care unit

Computer-based systems are now routinely deployed in many complex dynamic domains, such as aviation and industrial process control. The critical nature of these systems means that their operators rely on them to do the right thing at the right time when called upon. In other words, they are expected to have a high level of what Laprie (1995) defines as dependability. To date dependability research has largely focused on developing techniques for improving the dependability of hardware and software in safety critical applications (e.g., Leveson, 1995). Dependability, however, is a property of the whole socio-technical system: people, computers and context. It is therefore important not only to understand these components, but also how the interactions between them affect dependability.