A multi-method approach to assessing health information systems end users' training needs.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Educational Technology

Background:

• Existing Health Information Systems (HIS) training programs often fail to meet end-user needs and training objectives.
• This inadequacy stems from a failure to anticipate user challenges during specific task performance.
• Accurate assessment of end-user training needs, known as Training Needs Assessment (TNA), is crucial for effective HIS training program development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate an innovative multi-method approach for assessing Health Information Systems (HIS) end-user training needs.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional TNA methods by incorporating usability testing.
• To precisely identify training requirements for diverse levels of HIS users.

Main Methods:

• A multi-method approach combining traditional TNA techniques (interviews, surveys) with usability testing.
• Usability testing was employed to gather data on human-computer interaction, revealing cognitive processes often missed by traditional methods.
• The approach was validated through a case study assessing training needs for a nursing information system.

Main Results:

• The proposed multi-method approach effectively identified specific HIS end-user training needs.
• Usability testing provided deeper insights into user cognitive processes compared to traditional methods alone.
• The case study demonstrated the feasibility and effectiveness of the combined approach in a real-world setting.

Conclusions:

• A multi-method approach integrating usability testing with traditional TNA methods offers a more precise and comprehensive way to assess HIS training needs.
• This innovative method enhances the development of targeted and effective HIS training programs.
• The findings support the adoption of this approach for improving HIS user education and system adoption.