This technology is a customizable scale for assessing IT usability in healthcare settings.
Usability is evaluated through the interaction of user, system, and task in a particular environment, and can be a major limitation to health information technology (IT) adoption. Technical features of health IT interact with the social aspects of healthcare work, and any changes to that interaction impact the usability of the tool. Although there are validation tools available, there is commonly a misalignment between study needs and assessed concepts, which results in unstandardized item addition, modification or deletion. There is a need for a customizable evaluation tool to determine health IT usability, in order to facilitate optimal system development.
This technology is a customizable, 20-item questionnaire for determining perceived health IT usability. The tool consists of various components associated with levels of expectation, capturing user-system interaction and representing higher expectations of system impact. For example, the assessment addresses questions related to quality of work life, perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user control. This technology can facilitate improved user-system interactions in healthcare settings, potentially improving system development and patient care.
This technology was used by nurses to rate the usability of a web-based communication system for scheduling nursing staff, and the results indicated internal consistency reliability, with demonstrated construct and predictive validity.
Suzanne B. Bakken, Ph.D., R.N., F.A.A.N., F.A.C.M.I.
IR CU20177
Licensing Contact: Joan Martinez
