A Usability Study of 3 Radiotherapy Systems: A Comparative Evaluation Based on Expert Evaluation and User Experience

Area of Science:

• Medical Physics
• Human Factors Engineering
• Radiation Oncology

Background:

• Complex user interfaces in radiotherapy treatment delivery systems can cause errors and patient harm.
• Usability is critical for safe and efficient radiation therapy.
• A comparative analysis of commonly used systems in China was needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the usability of three radiotherapy treatment delivery systems used in China.
• To identify usability issues in patient setup and verification processes.
• To provide data for procurement decisions and future system design.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a comprehensive usability study involving heuristic evaluation by human-factors experts and radiation therapists.
• Assessed user experience through perceived system usability and workload using standardized questionnaires (NASA-TLX, PSSUQ).
• Evaluated Varian Trilogy, Elekta Precise, and Shinva XHA600E systems.

Main Results:

• Expert evaluation identified 47 problems for Varian Trilogy, 75 for Elekta Precise, and 37 for Shinva XHA600E, primarily during patient setup and verification.
• Radiation therapists reported significantly lower workload for Varian Trilogy and Elekta Precise compared to Shinva XHA600E.
• Varian Trilogy and Elekta Precise demonstrated significantly higher perceived system usability than Shinva XHA600E.

Conclusions:

• Significant usability differences exist among the evaluated radiotherapy treatment delivery systems.
• Varian Trilogy and Elekta Precise appear to offer advantages in terms of workload and perceived usability over Shinva XHA600E.
• These findings support informed equipment selection and highlight areas for improving the design of future radiotherapy systems to enhance patient safety.