Topics

• Information Systems Life Cycle
• SWOT Analysis
• Influences of Human Factors
• References

NURS 410 - Health Care Delivery Systems & Informatics

Module 11: Evaluating Health Information Technologies

Influences of Human Factors

WHAT IS THE MEANING OF HUMAN FACTORS?

The science of human factors/ergonomics emphasizes that machines and people have the proper fit, not just in size and shape, but also in role and function. For example in health care, ergonomics would be used to address the physical aspects of human-computer interaction such as comfort, lighting, and placement of equipment to decrease back strain and provide optimal workflow. Ergonomics research focuses on maximizing human-technology compatibility as appropriate to the design of interactive systems that ensure effectiveness, safety, and usability. Ergonomic design considers the physical, perceptual, and cognitive abilities of the intended users.
Consider the concepts of human factors/ergonomics and your own reality as you watch the videos below.

• Human Factors as Seen on TV (4:03) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KEse_x1Sko
• Human Factors in Medicine: Lessons from Commercial Aviation (6:11) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OevZsR6mwZc
• Seeing the World as it Isn’t (7:22) at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Il_D3Xt9W0

How does this information apply to the healthcare setting, nursing workflow and nursing practice? We all process information using our own perceptions and experiences based on what we see, feel, hear, and touch and tend to be selective as to what we recognize and commit to short or long term memory. Think about when you are driving home. You get in your car and start out. However, the next thing you remember is pulling into your driveway. How does perception vs. reality impact your daily routines?
What about technology use or the workplace environment? Dissatisfaction occurs when clinicians interact with a poorly designed computer interface that has an excessive number of icons, menus, and options or requires the user to remember lengthy or complicated computer instructions. Errors occur when users fail to discriminate between highly similar pieces of information such as drug names or doses that sound or look alike or if when the interface fails to sustain the user’s attention in such a way that important system information cannot be recognized. How can principles of human factors assist in designing better technology?

WHAT IS USABILITY?

Usability is a concept that deals with the actual usage of computers by humans. The terms usability and user-friendliness have become synonymous over the years; however, it is essential that you understand the meanings of these terms and how they affect the care you give at the bedside. According to the International Organization for Standards (ISO), usability is "…the extent to which a product can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use" (Bevan, 2008, p.2)." Usability increases productivity, decreases training and support costs, reduces the time it takes to develop a product, decreases maintenance costs, and increases user satisfaction. So, what is usability all about? Usability contributes to three major themes related to technology:

• Effectiveness: does what the users need it to do
• Efficiency: decreases the amount of time users take to complete the intended task
• Satisfaction: users perceive as easy to use

Whether a technology has all of these themes depends on several interrelated issues:

• The knowledge and abilities of the users
• The wants and needs of the users
• The general background of the users
• Where and when the technology will be used
• What the technology can do
• What the user can do

Usability, while synonymous with user-friendliness, is not the same as “functionality,” which is simply a matter of whether the technology is capable of performing the task for which it is intended. For instance, a tractor-trailer, while perfectly capable of taking you back and forth to school, it is not exactly usable lacking in efficiency or comfort!

WHAT IS USABILITY TESTING OR EVALUATION?

Learning Activities

• Click here to read about User Experience Basics at the Usability.gov website: http://www.usability.gov/what-and-why/user-experience.html