The overall objective of the laptops was to provide caseworkers with opportunities to work outside the office environment in new ways. This section reports on how participants used those opportunities in terms of 1) the type of work done, 2) locations of use, and 3) factors influencing their use. Additionally, this section reports on the major technical problems reported by the caseworkers. The data used in this analysis was collected soon after the laptops were deployed, as well as after an extended period of use. See Appendix A for a full description of the methods used.

During the first data collection period, survey respondents reported using the laptop during normal work hours, after hours, during commute times, and while working overtime. In addition, the full range of CPS-related work was completed using the laptops. The laptops were used in case investigation and interventions, documentation and reporting, and court-related activities. Case documentation was the most frequent use identified by respondents, including entering and updating notes. Other work reported included reading and reviewing case histories, opening and closing cases, conducting clearances and safety assessments, preparing court petitions, using the Welfare Management System (WMS), and communicating via email. During the second data collection period, respondents reported using the laptops in similar ways as previously reported, and added uses such as looking up addresses and driving directions, and accessing information on the sex offender registry.

In the first data collection period, caseworkers reported the following benefits to laptop use: 1) access to information in the field was very important, and 2) needing to return to the office to access case information less frequently. For example, one caseworker reported the following: “It [the laptop] gives you more flexibility in when you enter your notes and you don't have to call anyone else or go back to the office if you need to look up information you may need in the field.” Similar trends were reported consistently during the second data collection period. One of the caseworkers interviewed indicated that they often use the laptop during hospital visits with clients in order to look up case histories.

While all the caseworkers reported they were comfortable using the laptop to conduct their work, the time it took to incorporate it into their daily routine varied from one caseworker to another.

As part of the first data collection period, caseworkers were surveyed on where they used their laptop, as well as the average length of time they used it. Table 4 below represents findings from the first data collection period.

Table 4 - Location and Hours of Laptop Use per Week

	Use of Laptop (n)	Average length of use per week
Field	24% (10)	0.70 Hours
Court	17% (7)	0.19 Hours
Home	63% (26)	3.07 Hours
Do not use at all	(0)	--

* Based on survey respondents who took the post survey n = 41. Total number of testers n = 69.

As noted from the table above, the majority of caseworkers used the laptops from their home, followed by use in the field. The data gathered also indicates that caseworkers used the laptops from home for approximately three hours a week. While no survey was used for the second data collection period, interviewed caseworkers still reported using the laptops primarily from their homes after normal working hours.

During initial planning for this project, the amount of time caseworkers reported spending in court suggested that the courts could potentially be an unexploited location for mobile work in many LDSS. However, respondents during the first data collection reported spending on average just under two days a month at court and waiting on average 1.5 hours during a court visit. A smaller percentage of respondents reported using the laptop in court. Findings from the second data collection period indicated that caseworkers still have problems using the laptops in courts. Several caseworkers suggested a dedicated area for laptop use is important and would likely increase use in court. Privacy issues and confidentiality were the main reasons reported for not using the laptop in court. Furthermore, a shortage of tables and power outlets created barriers to using the laptops in court.

During the second data collection period, caseworkers continued to report using the laptops from the field. Several caseworkers indicated using their laptops while parked in a secure parking lot and several reported using their laptops while at coffee shops or hospitals. Caseworkers also reported using laptops while on-call. Having the laptops during these periods allowed the caseworkers to access full case information as opposed to having to take extensive notes from the hotline.

Caseworkers reported during the second data collection period that using the laptops within clients’ homes was not encouraged by supervisors. Several mentioned a formal policy was enacted. One caseworker mentioned the need to make clients aware of the caseworker’s use of the laptop while sitting outside the client’s home in their car. For example, one caseworker was unfamiliar with a particular area and used the laptop to lookup an address and driving directions. At that time, the caseworker notified the client of the situation and asked permission to use the laptop in their car outside the client’s residence.

During the first data collection period, the most common noted technical problems were slow connections and loss of wireless connectivity. Additionally, most respondents reported that privacy was less problematic in the field, but some did experience privacy problems. Again, in the second data collection, caseworkers reported problems with the lack of privacy and confidentiality in court.

Participants were surveyed in the first data collection period about the ease of logging-on to the device. Overall, 39% said it was “Easy,” 50% rated it as “Neither difficult nor Easy,” and another 11% of survey respondents rated the log-on process as “Difficult.” Nearly a year after the laptops were deployed, caseworkers reported very few technical problems similar to those identified in the first data collection period. Most commonly, caseworkers continued to experience lengthy system boot up times, lagging wireless connection speeds, or cumbersome log-on processes. In the second data collection period, a few caseworkers suggested the ability to print from the field would be an added benefit that may increase use and increase their ability to fully exploit the potential for mobility and communication.