User-centered design to develop clinical applications. Literature review.

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Design Science

Background:

• User-centered design (UCD) is crucial for creating usable and understandable products, as defined by Norman.
• Applying UCD principles is particularly vital in healthcare development to meet user needs.
• A systematic review of UCD in healthcare literature is needed to understand its application and impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically search and analyze academic articles focusing on the application of user-centered design principles within the healthcare sector.
• To identify and describe the findings from studies that have implemented UCD in health-related developments.

Main Methods:

• Literature search conducted for articles published between January 1995 and September 2014.
• Analysis of selected articles to identify the application and outcomes of user-centered design in healthcare.
• Synthesis of findings to provide an overview of UCD in the healthcare field.

Main Results:

• User-centered design has been applied in various healthcare contexts, aiming to improve usability and understanding.
• Studies indicate a positive correlation between UCD application and the effectiveness of healthcare products and systems.
• Key themes include patient engagement, usability testing, and iterative design processes in health technology.

Conclusions:

• User-centered design is a valuable approach for developing effective and user-friendly healthcare solutions.
• Continued application and research into UCD in healthcare are recommended to maximize benefits for patients and providers.
• The findings underscore the importance of prioritizing user needs in the design and development of health technologies.