Though the technologies examined here differed widely, there are some common themes that help explain the ways technology can fit in and enhance CPS casework. We found these themes useful in interpreting the detailed data from each of the three districts. The themes are described here to assist in the district descriptions that follow and in future choices about technology deployment in these settings.

For the purposes of working remotely in CPS, two work components are needed: a device with easy portability and connectivity with ubiquitous access. For instance, the voice recognition software is not a mobile device on its own, however, it becomes mobile if used in connection with a laptop or digital recorder. Also, a telephonic dictation service is essentially a mobile technology, but only when used in combination with a cell phone with excellent network coverage. If the two components are not present, the potential value of the mobile technology will not be obtained. This is particularly so for laptops that do not have reliable wireless access or are not set up for a data synchronization process. Deriving the most value from mobility appears to require mobile devices with ubiquitous access that provide real time entry into the central application.

Entering analog information (i.e., text from workers’ paper notes or thoughts) into CONNECTIONS can require anywhere from one to as many as four or five separate steps. Different mobile devices require different sequences, that may or may not fit well with the worker’s skills, preferences, or work situation. Using a telephonic dictation service, for instance, involves at least three steps: speaking the progress notes, retrieving the transcribed notes from a Web site, then cutting and pasting them into CONNECTIONS. In some cases, the workers reported extra steps of writing out the notes in advance by hand to prepare for the unaccustomed task of dictating. The use of a digital pen is similar. After writing notes on special paper, the pen is put on a docking station (usually at a personal computer), the handwritten notes are digitized and presented in multiple MS Word files, which must then be merged and cut and pasted into CONNECTIONS. The only one-step process in the pilot was the connected laptop, where notes were typed directly into CONNECTIONS, thus digitizing and entering data occurred simultaneously. However, even in these cases, establishing the access connection required additional steps. These considerations illustrate how productivity is affected by the critical link between the nature of the technology and the users’ skills and work practices.

Not all caseworkers are comfortable working the same way. Some are more adept at dictating notes, some prefer typing, and others writing. Although all three methods can produce the same note, the work process differences are important. Speaking progress notes in complete coherent sentences comes naturally to some and is very difficult for others. Those who prefer typing describe it as a continuous editing process where cohesive thoughts are formed in the process of revising typed documents. Thus, asking people to change the way they work requires giving them time to learn and achieve proficiency in the new skill and recognition that this can engender substantial resistance.

Mobile technologies must also fit well with individual work practices to produce value. Some caseworkers believe the only way to pay the most attention in a home visit is to rely on handwritten notes; typing can be done after the visit. This belief shapes the choice of and the location where the technology is used. For other workers, a laptop is considered a status symbol that can interfere with establishing rapport with some clients. Typing may be the preferred method for data capture, but the caseworker may not want to bring a laptop into the house. Another caseworker may want to dictate notes but does not want to do so between home visits, preferring instead to wait until there is a large block of time to dictate continuously, documenting all the day’s visits at once. These individual skills and preferences shape the use, and thus the potential value of a particular technology.

The goals for work to be done in the field will help determine the appropriate technology to support field work. Defining what work activities are to be completed in the field will influence the choice of mobile technology. Some work activities are simple data entry like recording progress notes and safety assessments. For this kind of work laptops, dictation services and systems, and digital pens are all appropriate. But completing additional tasks such as sending and receiving email, reviewing new cases, and adding and relating persons in the database also require access to CONNECTIONS and other Web resources. Obtaining these broader capabilities requires a laptop with mobile connectivity.

Mobile technology use is strongly influenced by the work environment and context. Workers who rely on public transportation say they have no private place to dictate or even use a laptop, while those who use cars can use both technologies while traveling. For possible use in public transportation, a laptop must be small, have a privacy screen, and have good wireless connectivity. Dictation, by contrast, cannot be adapted to public transportation but could be done in a private courthouse location, a park, or at home. Different technology configurations require different lengths of available time for efficient use. Several home visits in one day may not allow any blocks of time large enough to complete work nor an environment that provides enough privacy for dictating or typing. Time between visits may be too short to complete work activities, whereas large blocks of time waiting in court can be very productive. Physical comfort will also shape technology use. If a laptop is too heavy or big, it will not be used. A digital pen that is uncomfortable to use for long periods will not be used. Finally, if having to carry or use a laptop in an obvious way puts caseworkers at increased personal risk, then it will also not be used.