Usability Testing of Two Ambulatory EHR Navigators.

Hultman G1, Marquard J2, Arsoniadis E3, Mink P4, Rizvi R1, Ramer T5, Khairat S6, Fickau K7, Melton GB8.

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Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Despite widespread electronic health record (EHR) adoption, poor EHR system usability continues to be a significant barrier to effective system use for end users. One key to addressing usability problems is to employ user testing and user-centered design.

OBJECTIVES:

To understand if redesigning an EHR-based navigation tool with clinician input improved user performance and satisfaction.

METHODS:

A usability evaluation was conducted to compare two versions of a redesigned ambulatory navigator. Participants completed tasks for five patient cases using the navigators, while employing a think-aloud protocol. The tasks were based on Meaningful Use (MU) requirements.

RESULTS:

The version of navigator did not affect perceived workload, and time to complete tasks was longer in the redesigned navigator. A relatively small portion of navigator content was used to complete the MU-related tasks, though navigation patterns were highly variable across participants for both navigators. Preferences for EHR navigation structures appeared to be individualized.

CONCLUSIONS:

This study demonstrates the importance of EHR usability assessments to evaluate group and individual performance of different interfaces and preferences for each design.