Mutual shaping between technologies and law: memories of norwegian e-health infrastructures

Abstract

This work suggests a method to study mutual shaping between technologies and law drawing on empirical evidence from two different and simultaneously developing patient-oriented information systems in e-health. The approach of Complex Adaptive Systems is applied to analyze documentary data in the first case to identify causal elements in the 'memory' of its design work, and the narrative data in situ and ex situ-for subsequent tracing of attractions in the legal environment. A hypothesis on whether both case studies share the same attractions is generated for further testing in the second case. Having replicated the method, the researcher provides explanations regarding the studied phenomenon based on empirical material of the Norwegian e-health sector.