Collaborative software development for a Brazilian telehealth program.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Nursing Informatics

Background:

• Telehealth services in Pernambuco, Brazil, are managed by the Telehealth Center (RedeNUTES) utilizing HealthNet 2.0 software.
• Clinical discussions for second opinions are a key tele-assistance service provided.
• A PhD study employed mixed-methods to evaluate and enhance the existing telehealth system.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the current telehealth services in Pernambuco.
• To plan and model a new tool for improving the telehealth system.
• To describe the nurse's role throughout the study phases.

Main Methods:

• User-Centered Design (UCD) was applied across three phases: Identification of work process, User's perception and collaborative modeling, and Observational usability study.
• Collaborative techniques including Collaborative Prototype Design Process, cognitive walkthrough, and thinking-aloud were central to the methodology.
• Usability problems were identified by both evaluators and end-users.

Main Results:

• The employed methods proved effective in pinpointing usability challenges within the telehealth system.
• The study highlighted the significant role of nurses in the evaluation and improvement process.
• User-centered design approaches facilitated the identification of practical usability issues.

Conclusions:

• The mixed-methods approach, centered on user feedback and collaborative design, successfully identified telehealth usability problems.
• The study demonstrates a low-cost, effective method for usability testing using standard technology.
• The findings provide a foundation for improving the HealthNet 2.0 telehealth system and inform future telehealth development.