Training Course on Usability Testing for Health Technology

Module 1: Introduction to Usability in Health Technology
Foundations of Usability
Definition and principles of usability.
Key components: effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction.
Importance in Healthcare
Impact on patient safety, clinical workflow, and adoption rates.
Examples of poor usability leading to errors or inefficiencies.
User-Centered Design and Human Factors
Understanding clinician and patient needs.
Designing for accessibility, inclusivity, and cognitive load.
Activity: Conduct a heuristic evaluation of a healthcare app or EHR interface to identify usability issues.

Module 2: Planning Usability Testing
Defining Objectives and Success Metrics
Establishing measurable goals for usability tests.
Selecting key performance indicators (KPIs) for tasks, errors, and satisfaction.
Target Users and Participant Recruitment
Identifying representative end-users: clinicians, nurses, patients.
Sampling strategies and inclusion/exclusion criteria.
Task and Scenario Design
Creating realistic clinical workflows and test tasks.
Simulating real-world usage conditions.
Selecting Testing Methods
Formative vs. summative testing, moderated vs. unmoderated sessions.
Workshop: Develop a complete usability test plan for a hypothetical EHR or mobile health application.

Module 3: Conducting Usability Tests
Observation and Interaction Methods
Think-aloud protocols to capture user thought processes.
Task analysis and time-on-task measurement.
Shadowing clinicians in real or simulated environments.
Remote vs. In-Person Testing
Tools for remote usability testing (screen recording, online surveys).
Advantages, limitations, and logistical considerations.
Data Capture Techniques
Video, audio, screen recordings, and field notes.
Handling user feedback ethically and systematically.
Simulation: Perform hands-on usability testing with a mock EHR or telehealth platform.

Module 4: Analyzing and Interpreting Usability Data
Quantitative Data Analysis
Metrics: task completion rates, error rates, time-on-task, and efficiency scores.
Identifying patterns and statistically significant issues.
Qualitative Data Analysis
Coding user comments, observations, and behavioral patterns.
Identifying pain points, barriers, and workflow inefficiencies.
Prioritizing Issues
Categorizing problems based on severity, frequency, and clinical impact.
Reporting Findings
Translating insights into actionable recommendations for developers and stakeholders.
Exercise: Analyze usability test data and prepare a structured usability report highlighting priority improvements.

Module 5: Implementing Improvements and Reporting
Design and Workflow Enhancements
Integrating usability findings into system redesign or workflow changes.
Validating improvements through iterative testing.
Stakeholder Communication
Presenting usability findings to IT teams, developers, administrators, and clinicians.
Using visualizations, dashboards, and clear narratives to convey results.
Ethics, Privacy, and Compliance
Ensuring patient data privacy during usability testing.
Adhering to HIPAA, GDPR, and local regulations.
Evaluating Effectiveness of Changes
Conducting post-implementation usability assessments.
Continuous improvement through feedback loops.
Capstone Project: Conduct a full usability evaluation of a health technology system, produce a final improvement plan, and present actionable recommendations to stakeholders.