C790 Nursing Infomratics WGU Ch. 21, Usability
Steps for Conducting Usability Tests
1) define a clear purpose 2) assess constraints 3) Use an HCI framework to define pertinent components. 4) Match methods to the purpose, constraints, and framework assessment.
usability
1.Increased user productivity and efficiency 2.Decreased user errors and increased safety 3.Improved cognitive support
Health Human-Computer Interaction (HHCI) Framework
Humans or products can initiate interactions. The information is processed through either the product or the humans according to characteristics. The recipient then reacts to the information; for example, a healthcare provider could read and respond to email from a patient or a product might process interactions after the "enter" key is pressed. Iterative cycles continue as humans behave and products act according to defined characteristics. Goals and planning are implicit within the tasks displayed in the framework.
Usability Questionnaires
System Usability Scale (SUS)- industry standard, 10-scale Questionnaire for User Interaction Satisfaction (QUIS)-computer system or application assessed Purdue Usability Testing Questionnaire-100 open ended questions Software Usability Measurement Inventory (SUMI)-
human factors
The complex interactions among multiple users, products, and environments with varying characteristics in health information technology is referred to
think-aloud protocol
also involves a small number of users and has them talk aloud while they interact with a product. Users voice what they are trying to do, indicate where interactions are confusing, and provide other thoughts about the product during interactions. This allows a detailed examination of the specified tasks, in particular to uncover major effectiveness issues. used in conjunction with other techniques
Comparison Study
can conduct comparison studies at any point in the systems life cycle but they are more commonly done to compare an existing design with a redesign or an early prototype with a more mature product. The major objective of this usability test is to determine which application, design, or product is more effective, efficient, and satisfying
Heuristic evaluations
compare products against accepted usability guidelines to reveal major and minor usability issues.
validation test
completed later in the systems life cycle using a more mature product. This type of test assesses how this particular product compares to a predetermined standard, benchmark, or performance measure.
focused ethnographies
concentrate on individuals' points of view, their experiences and interactions in social settings, rather than on just the actions of those individuals During observations, detailed descriptions are generated with an emphasis on social relationships and their impact on work.
Assessment Test
conducted early in or midway through the development of a product application. After the organization and general design are determined, this kind of test assesses lower-level operations of the application, stressing the efficiency goals of the product (versus effectiveness) and how well the task is presented to users. conducted whens system partially developed
Exploratory Test
conducted early in the systems life cycle after requirements are determined. These tests are conducted on very basic or preliminary designs or redesigns where few resources have been committed to programming the product. The objective of an exploratory test is to assess the effectiveness of emerging design concepts informal
task analysis
generic term for a set of more than 100 techniques that range from a focus on cognitive tasks and processes (called cognitive task analysis) to observable user interactions with an application (e.g., a systematic mapping of team interactions during a patient code). Task analyses are systematic methods that are used to understand what users are doing or required to do with a product by focusing on tasks and behavioral actions of the users and products. These methods provide a process for learning about and documenting how ordinary users complete actions in a specific context. Methods of task analysis include the following: •Interviews •Observations •Shadowing users at their actual work sites •Observing users doing tasks •Conducting ethnographic studies or interviews
joint cognitive systems
imply that information is shared or distributed among humans and technology. This framework is useful for examining teamwork in healthcare where team members work together on patient care
human factors
is "the scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance." In healthcare, human factors might concern the design of a new operating room to better support teamwork and patient flow.
usability
is often used interchangeably with HCI when the product is a computer but usability also concerns products beyond computers. Usability is also more focused on interactions within a specific context or environment for a specific product. Formally, the ISO defines usability as the extent to which a product can be used by specific users in a specific context to achieve specific goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction. allows users to achieve goals
Human-computer interaction (HCI)
is the study of how people design, implement, and evaluate interactive computer systems in the context of users' tasks and work
discount usability methods
reduce the number of required users in usability projects and to use early design prototypes. These methods offer economies of time, effort, and cost and can be completed at any point in the systems life cycle. Two common techniques are heuristic evaluation and think-aloud protocol.
ergonomics
used interchangeably with human factors by the HFES in Europe but in the U.S. and other countries its focus is on human performance with physical characteristics of tools, systems, and machines i.e. power drill fitting in hand
