Usability analysis of the tele-nursing call management software at HealthLink BC

Usability engineering methods have been shown to be effective in identifying software problems that may lead to user operating inefficiencies, user errors, data encoding errors or far more serious health threatening consequences. This research project applied two complementary usability engineering analysis methods to a mature tele-nursing clinical call management software platform (a knowledgebase and an EMR product). Findings from the study revealed 100 discrete usability errors or problems. This research also introduced an adaptation of cognitive task analysis, with the development of a 'cognitive task screen-turn' analysis, which provided useful information about operating differences among users performing identical tasks that was particularly useful in revealing four unnecessary steps within the system.