Bedside Usability Surveys: Adding Authentic User Detail to the Assessment

Area of Science:

• Healthcare safety
• Medical device usability
• Clinical engineering

Background:

• Healthcare errors are a significant cause of mortality in the US.
• Infusion pumps are critical for patient care but present opportunities for user error.
• Equipment usability and user interfaces require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess nurse-identified qualities important for infusion pump operation.
• To evaluate the usability of infusion pumps in a clinical setting.
• To identify areas for improvement in infusion pump design and function.

Main Methods:

• A self-developed usability survey was electronically distributed to 500 nurses at a large academic hospital.
• The survey sample was stratified by unit type.
• Responses from 240 nurses (48% response rate) were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Main Results:

• Nurses reported confident use of infusion pumps, with some variations by unit type.
• A significant safety concern was identified: 90% of respondents omitted the dose error reduction system.
• Users reported issues with the user interface and error prevention features.

Conclusions:

• Usability surveys are a simple and cost-effective method for gathering data on medical device use.
• Infusion pump design and user interfaces need improvement to enhance patient safety.
• Addressing user-identified issues can lead to safer and more efficient medication delivery.