1. Usability and EHRs
adj. Capability of Being Used
Altaf Prasla, Brenda Wilson, Mandi Taveechai, Michael Yao
2. Why Usability?
"Practitioner's Take Away"
Everyone says EHRs are possible, but it's not happening
Lack of usability in EHRs is one reason
Incorporating usability is hard in any system (which is
why we have "Usability Professionals")
EHR difficulty
Skilled users: Physicians
Complex Functionality: Clinical Decision Support
Critical Tasks: Don't Kill the Patient
3. Who's Doing The Research?
UPA: The Usability Professionals Association
http://www.usabilityprofessionals.org/
AHRQ hired two research organizations to evaluate how
vendors integrate usability in their products and published
a report in May 27, 2010.
Other than the AHRQ report, there are not standards on
design or monitoring usability of EHRs. Therefore
research is primarily done by universities and consumers.
4. What Has Been Discovered
Yildiz Technical University, Department of Communication
Design
5. Further Benefits
Clinical Decision Support that will actually work
Split Second Decisions by Providers
Heavy Burden of "Don't Kill the Patient"
The Threat of Malpractice Lawsuits
Address the challenge of empowering the clinician with
benefits of HIT while not forcing them to think like a
machine.
Positive attitudes, less frustration for those using the EHR
6. Expansion and Opportunities
Steal Ideas from Other Software
EHRs being an "Over-glorified Microsoft Word"
Internet Browsers
Web Design
Web Development methods for Interfaces
Google Style Search (unified search boxes)
10. Conclusion
If your program is not
usable, then it won't be
used properly
EHRs are not meant to
replace doctors. Meant
to HELP doctors
Future research
needed:
Usability for patients
(PHRs and Portals)
Cognitive support
without cognitive Using an EHR shouldn't be like finding Waldo
overload
Standards on design
11. Works Cited
John B. Smelcer, Hal Miller-Jacobs, Lyle Kantrovich.
"Usability of Electronic Medical Records" http://www.
upassoc.org/upa_publications/jus/2009february/smelcer1.
html (2009)
Tasa, Umut Burca, et al. "A case study on better
iconographic design in electronic medical records' user
interface." Informatics For Health & Social Care 33.2 (2008):
125-138.