Benefits Realized through Usability Analysis of a Tele-nursing Call Management Software System at HealthLink BC

In this paper we describe the analysis of a tele-nursing call management software system at HealthLink BC. Several methods of usability analysis were conducted in a process of continuous quality improvement. In the initial phase usability engineering methods were applied to assess simulated nurse interactions with the call system and decision support software. After modification of the software an evaluation of the resulting benefits of the usability engineering was carried out. Run and control charts were developed and the impact of the changes were assessed in the context of other ongoing changes occurring in the organization. It was found that call handle times were reduced after the software was modified based on the usability analyses, and the software was streamlined to require fewer steps to complete call management tasks. However, ongoing changes in business processes have underlined the need for continual usability analyses and system refinement even within mature systems.